March 2013
Artist’s Statement
My work examines religious imagery and uses this imagery to express ideas and concepts outside the boundaries of faith and spirituality. Through this imagery, I am examining my identity as a woman, the lineage of womanhood, and what a woman represents.
My series of tableaus twists expectations about age, gender, sexuality, and culture to explore contemporary issues. I have chosen to use different types of women for my madonnas to represent the many types of women in the world. The madonnas in my images are often glitzed up and a bit sexy, portraying what our society expects of women. I focus on the sensuality, and other contemporary issues such as women postponing parenthood until later in life, in order to represent the vast variety of ways women live today. The women I depict are confident. They are women who have human needs and wants – the whole range of them – ranging from the spiritual to the natural carnal tendencies that are dominated by fleshly, worldly tendencies.
I am interested in symbols of excess as exemplified in the lushness of fabrics, fruit, or skin. The handcrafted construction of the sets and props illustrates the superficial and cultural construct of these much-valued elements. These images show the imperfections, and the humanness of individuals, creating a tension when juxtaposed with the religious and sacred iconography. I am reinventing and reclaiming religious iconography, rather than destroying it.
Biography
The youngest of four children, Rose M. Barron was born in Columbus, Indiana, and was influenced by the art making of her eldest sister at an early age. Receiving scholarships and art awards she began her fine arts study at Ball State University, then transferred to the University of Georgia and obtained her BFA. Moving to Atlanta to pursue art and teaching, Rose discovered her passion for photography and film. Rose finished her Master’s Degree at Georgia State University with a concentration in Photography and is now pursuing her MFA in photography at Savannah College of Art and Design. She is the recipient of the 2012-2013 Lee Kimche McGrath Graduate scholarship.
Her work deals with the theme of identity through gender and culture. Rose’s art film Satyritown: SurREEL in Cabbagetown was accepted into the WIFTA film shorts and the Indi Grits Festival. Her short film Blood Ravenwas accepted into the 2011 Action on Film festival in Los Angeles. Currently she is continuing her mixed media work and her tableau photography / video series.
Rose’s affiliations include City of Atlanta and Fulton County artists registry, IRIS International Centre for Women in Photography, Women in Film, and Women Contemporary Artists. Speaking engagements include the Woman’s Caucus of the Arts, Opal Gallery, numerous colleges and Espacio Común in Panama City, Panama. Her work can be seen in Shots Magazine, FORM 2011, Atlanta magazine, Walker’s Point Center for the Arts catalog and Saatchi Gallery online and is in numerous collections including the Four Seasons in Morocco.
