Barbara Gray

About

"The pleasure in viewing her work is one usually associated with Oriental art - seeing a whole palpable image come together out of a few strokes...The artist knows where she is going."William Zimmer  former art critic of The New York Times


Statement

Whenever my eyes are opened I am composing visually; sometimes consciously, sometimes subconsciously. These compositions manifest themselves physically as paintings, drawings, etchings, sculpture, installations, performance pieces. Viewing these, I again compose and recompose until they are developed and refined to a point at which I say "enough" and go on to something else.

Most of these manifestations involve color and some sort of movement -- implied or actual. When realism is used it either represents itself or becomes a vehicle for elements within itself: a line, a shape, a form, to be integrated into the whole composition.

When an idea is communicated to the viewer it is usually from the subconscious, unintentional, psychological part of me and completes the cycle of maker of art to viewer of art.

Biography

Timeline

1955  Bachelor of Arts Degree - Brooklyn College
1955  New York State Teaching Certificate
1956  Founded private art school, Kinston, NC
1965  Art Students League, New York City - Drawing, painting, sculpture with Marshall Glaser, Vaclyv Vtlacil and John Hovannes
1967  Moved to London, England
1968/9  Camden Arts Institute, London, England - Sculpture with Jesse Watkins
1969  University of London, London, England - Lithography wiht John Bowles
1969  The Islington Studio, London, England - Ethcing workshop with Hugh Stoneman
1970  Return to USA
1971  Silvermine painting seminar, New Canaan, CT with Robert Reed (Yale University)
1972  Open studio, Westport, CT
1973  Returned to London, England
1974  Received grant from London Arts Council for studio
1975  Awarded studio at SPACE by London Arts Council 1979  Atelier 17, Paris, France, Color printmaking with S. W. Hayter
1980  Returned to USA - Built studio, Westport, CT
1981  SUNY, Purchase, NY - studied site sculpture with Ellyn Zimmerman
1982  Created Livre d'artiste, "Haiga-Haiku" (haiga = etchings)
1984  Westport Center for the Arts, Westport, CT - Founding Member. Established fifty studios for working artists; chairman of review committee
1986  Idylwyld School, Idylwyld, CA - studied environmental sculpture with Lita Albuquerque
1986/7  School of Visual Arts, New York City, Studied papermaking 1989  Art/Place Gallery, Southport, CT - President
1990  New York University, New York City - Master Candidate
1991  Umbrellas; Joint Project for Japan & USA - worked with Christo
1991/2  Umbrellas - Produced video Japan/California
1993  Opened The Berkeley Studio - Westport, CT
1995  25th Connecticut Art Competition - Stamford Museum - Honorable Mention - Juror - Eugenie Tsai, Director, Whitney Museum
1996  Masters Degree - New York University
1998  Artist in Residence - Atelier A, - etching studio, Aprical Italy - Daniele Noel, Founder. Micky Launey, Master printer
2004  Etching "Haiku" included in Library of Congress print collection
2004  Honorable mention, "Peace" @ Center for Contemporary Printmaking - Norwalk, CT, Robert Kipness, Judge
2007  Listed with Saatchi Online
2008  Alexandria Bibliotheca, Alexandria, Egypt - paintings "Blue Nile" and "White Nile" included in collection

One Person Exhibitions

2012  Entryway Gallery, Gray/Ruelle - Chelsa, NY
1955  Fairfield Arts Council - Fairfield, CT
2005  Ulla Surland Gallery - Fairfeild, CT
2003  Art/Place, Faces - Southport, CT
2002  Ulla Surland Gallery, Other Landscapes - Fairfield, CT
1999  Art/Place, Zig-Zag - Southport, CT
1996  Art/Place, Chance Occurrence, Southport, CT
1994  Westport Arts Center - Westport, CT
1990  Art/Place - Southport, CT
1988  Art/Place - Southport, CT
1986  Fairfield Library Gallery - Fairfield, CT
1984  Waveny House Art Barn - New Caanan, CT
1984  Saugatuck Gallery - Westport, CT
1983  Landmark Gallery - Stamford, CT
1982  LYC Gallery - Banks-Brampton, England
1982  University of Maryland Gallery, Munich, West Germany
1979  Open Studio Exhibition - Wapping Wall, London, England

Selected Group Exhibitions

2021  Sonoran Art League, Off the Wall - Cave Creek, AZ
2019  Sonoran Art League, Small Works - Cave Creek, AZ
2019  Desert Foothills Library, Hot Art/Cool Show - Cave Creek, AZ
2009  Westport Historical Society, Years in the Making
2009  Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Miniature Print Show juried by Jacqueline Akers
2009  Level 9 Gallery - Cave Creek, AZ
2008/9  Wendy Nylen, Picture This Gallery - Westport, CT
2006  Center for Contemporary Printmaking
2005  VanDeb Editions - New York, NY
2004  Art Students League Exhibition from Bob Blackburn Collection - New York, NY
2004  Westport Arts Center, Connecticut Prints curated by James Reed
2004  Ulla Surland Gallery, 111 Show
2004  Independence Hall, Art/Place artists - Fairfield, CT
2002  Independence Hall, Art/Place artists - Fairfield, CT
2002  ART/PLACE @ Fairfield Library - Fairfield, CT
2002  Westport Arts Center, Fresh Start - Westport, CT
2000  SAGA at Steve Gang Gallery - Chelsea, NY
2000  Gallery on the Green, Exquisite Corpse - Canton, CT
2000  Paper - CJG Projects, curated by Cortland Jessup - Provincetown, MA
2000  Paperworks curated by Harry Philbrick, Director Aldrich Museum, Connecticut Graphics - Norwalk, CT
2000  The Woman, traveling exhibition - Apricale, Italy & Antibes, France
1998  36th Annual Fairfield Festival of the Arts, curated by Cynthia Roznoy, Whitney Museum & Cynthia Cormie, Wadsworth Athenum
1998  Art/Place, (W)Interactions - Southport, CT
1997/8  Riverpark Atrium - Norwalk, CT
1997  Brenda Koos Gallery - Clevland, OH
1997  Connecticut Women Artists Annual, University of Hartford
1997  SAGA at Nabisco National Headquarters - NJ
1996  Brocken Gallery, Dirty Realism - Tokyo, Japan
1995  Art/Place, Books, Boxes, and Beautiful Things - Southport, CT
1995  Stamford Museum, 25th Annual Connecticut Art Competition, Honoarable Mention - Stamford, CT
1995  Cheseboro-Ponds Gallery, Sculpture and Screens Invitational - Westport, CT
1995  Gertude White Gallery, Exploring the Figure Invitational - Greenwich, CT
1994  Art/Place, Originations - Southport, CT
1993  Art/Place, ARTPLAYS - Southport, CT
1992  Multimedia Gallery - New York, NY
1990  Art/Place - Southport, CT
1989  Art/Place, Winter Lineup - Southport, CT
1989  Art/Place, Summer Lineup - Southport, CT
1988  Museum of Art, Science and Industry - Bridgeport, CT
1988  Fairfield Unversity Gallery, award winner Best in Graphics - Fairfield, CT
1987  Art/Place - Southport, CT
1987  Stamford Museum, Painters and Sculptors Competition - Stamford, CT
1986  Atria Architects Gallery - Hartford, CT
1986  Saugatuck Gallery - Westport, CT
1985  Ramapo College, Women Make Prints - Ramapo, NJ
1984  Columbia University Ferris Booth Hall, Women Make Prints - New York, NY
1983  Henry Street Settlement, Women Make Prints - New York, NY
1983  SUNY, Women Make Prints, Purchase, NY
1975  The Minories Museum - Colchester, England
1975  Kendall Museum - Abbotsholme, England
1975  Paper Point Gallery - London, England
1975  Davidson National Print and Graphics Exhibition judged by Clement Greenberg - Davidson, NC
1971  Bridgeport Museum Annual, award winner - Bridgeport, CT
1969  Lord Mayors Gallery - London, England

Collaborations

1991  Silvermine Gallery, Garbage of Eden - New Caanan, CT
1986  Channel 27, Dateline Westport, Performance Piece conceived by Barbara Gray, music by Winifred Keane, choregraphy by Margaret Bisceglie. Taped at the Awards meeting of the American PEN Women
1981  Livre d'Artiste Haiga-Haiku Concept and Haiga etchings by Barbara Gray. Haiku poetry by Peggy Heinrich
1979  Five, catalogue of International Artists - London, England
1975  Inner Eye, catalogue and alternative exhibition resource book - London, England

Lecturing

1995  Norwalk Community Technical College, Abstraction - Norwalk, CT
1995  WAC Institute, Drawing the Figure - Westport, CT
1993/4  The Berkeley Studio, Painting and Drawing - Westport, CT
1990  Art/Place, Gallery Talk - Southport, CT
1990  Norwalk Community College, Art History - Norwalk, CT
1989  Fairfield High School, Art History - Fairfield, CT
1988  Art/Place, Gallery Talk - Southport, CT
1986  Barnes Collection, Lecture tour - Merion, PA
1985/6  Norwalk Community College, Figure drawing, Basic Design, Drawing - Norwalk, CT
1984  Barnes Collection, Lecture tour - Merion, PA
1978  Whitelands College, Figure drawing - Roehampton, England
1977  Digby College, graduate student thesis projects - Putney, England
1975  Central School, Studio lecturer - London, England
1968  St Marys Town & Country School, Art Instructor - London, England
1964  Guild of Creative Art, Painting Instructor - Shrewbury, NJ
1963  Strathmore School, Art Instructor - Matawan, NJ

Private Collections

Dr & Mrs Jack Welch - Nantucket, MA
Mr Peter Heering - London, England
Mr Bjorn Bryn - London, England
Mr & Mrs Phillipe Sands - London, England
Messrs. John Bygott & John Drewes - New York, NY
Dr & Mrs Richard Firestone - New York, NY
Mr & Mrs Edward Katz - Stamford, CT
Mr Joseph Blumenthal - New York, NY
Mr & Mrs Roger Rouse - Princeton, NY
Mr & Mrs John Sweeney-Lowe - London, England
Estate of Elena Gaputyte - London, England
Mr Joseph Catanese - London, England
Ms Natalie D'Arbelof - London, England
Dr Lillian Klein - Munich, West Germany
Ms Pamela Palmer - Westport, CT
Ms Helen Chrysler Greene, Westport, CT
Nintenshi Gallery - Tokyo, Japan
Ms Alicia Moi Orban - Paris, France
Ms Iris Nemni - Westport, CT
Dr & Mrs Marc Oliver - Randolph, NJ
Ms Juin Hong Shieh - Taipei, Taiwan
Mr Frank Lupo & Ms Eve Stockton - Weston, CT
Ms Peggy Heinrich - Bridgeport, CT
Mr & Mrs Lee Ruelle - New York, NY
Mr & Mrs Alex Henderson - Greenwich, CT
Ms Robin Fech - Atlanta, GA
Mr & Mrs Richard Keogh - New York, NY
Mr & Mrs Michael Gold - Los Angeles, CA
Mr Stephen Sullivan - Bridgeport, CT
Mr & Mrs Ronald Lang - Sharon, CT
Dr & Mrs Marty Reichgut - Milford, CT
Mr & Mrs Dale Reinker - Weston, CT
Mr & Mrs John Hus - Gainesville, VA
Douglas Gray & Julie Dauphinais - Gilbert, AZ
Dr & Mrs Steve Hochschuler - Paradise Valley, AZ
Mr & Mrs Les Wilder - Fairfield, CT
Dr & Mrs Sydney Groffman - Somerset, NJ

Corporate Collections

John Brown, E & C - Stamford, CT
Riokan Rantai - Kyoto, Japan
Herminghaus Hotel Renovations - Munich, Germany
Huntington Film Institute - Rancho Mirage, CA
Keith Prowse Agency - London, England
Mary Fox Linton - London, England
Paragon Partners - Chandler, AZ
Gray & Graham - Westport, CT

Public Collections

Paper Museum - Tokyo, Japan
Houston Museum of Contemporary Art - Houston, TX
Printmaking Workshop - New York, NY
Norwalk Community Technical College - Norwalk, CT
Goverment House Grand Hotel - Taipei, Taiwan
Town Hall - Westport, CT
Atelier-A - Apricale, Italy
Public Library - Westport, CT
Atelier Dix-Sept - Paris, France
Housatonic Museum - Bridgeport, CT
Westport Schools Collection - Westport, CT
Library of Congress Collection - Washington, DC
Alexandria Biblioteca - Alexandria, Egypt

Reviews

The New York Times - December 16, 1995 - William Zimmer
The New York Times - July 17, 1995 - William Zimmer
Fairfield County Advocate - Critics Choice - November 1990
Fairpress - January 1990
ARTS NEW ENGLAND - March 1998
ARTS NEW ENGLAND - October 1996

All images © 2013 Barbara Gray