Theodor Barr's Artist Profile
Theodor Barr
i like artist
Artist's Statement
The human being is but a momentary visitor on this planet and like all life manifestations it moves in cycles just like stars, galaxies and clusters. I see cycles in the movement of heavenly bodies, in human embryonic development and in symbols that define religions. The four main elements in my work are MOVEMENT, GATHERING, CYCLES AND EVOLUTION. To depict these elements I have developed a multi-layered tar technique that consists of cold tar layers mixed with oil colors, acrylic and lacquer. The elements are moved on the canvas in a cycle process. Many of my paintings have ten to twenty layer cycles. MOVEMENT: There is no celestial element that stands still. Movement in the universe is spiral shaped. Organized movement is also the basic feature of every human being. GATHERING: There is no celestial element that stands alone. Planets are bound to suns, suns to galaxies, galaxies to clusters. So too children are bound to their mother, families, communities and countries. CYCLES: All celestial movements manifest in cycles, as the human cycle of conception, birth, growth, childhood, adulthood, old age and disappearance of the physical body, so suns are created by condensed gas, attracting matter and spiral movement by mass reaction. The end of a star's life is known as Super Nova which dismisses its remaining matter into the universe. EVOLUTION: There is a constant evolution through the ray of creation. Everything in creation changes, appears, disappears and transforms. If human evolution takes about a hundred years, a star's evolution is about ten billion years. In this respect we need to consider proportions and seeing reality as it is. We are but a tiny unnoticed part of creation and our being and destiny should include cooperation between all living creatures on planet Earth.
Artist's Statement
The human being is but a momentary visitor on this planet and like all life manifestations it moves in cycles just like stars, galaxies and clusters. I see cycles in the movement of heavenly bodies, in human embryonic development and in symbols that define religions. The four main elements in my work are MOVEMENT, GATHERING, CYCLES AND EVOLUTION. To depict these elements I have developed a multi-layered tar technique that consists of cold tar layers mixed with oil colors, acrylic and lacquer. The elements are moved on the canvas in a cycle process. Many of my paintings have ten to twenty layer cycles. MOVEMENT: There is no celestial element that stands still. Movement in the universe is spiral shaped. Organized movement is also the basic feature of every human being. GATHERING: There is no celestial element that stands alone. Planets are bound to suns, suns to galaxies, galaxies to clusters. So too children are bound to their mother, families, communities and countries. CYCLES: All celestial movements manifest in cycles, as the human cycle of conception, birth, growth, childhood, adulthood, old age and disappearance of the physical body, so suns are created by condensed gas, attracting matter and spiral movement by mass reaction. The end of a star's life is known as Super Nova which dismisses its remaining matter into the universe. EVOLUTION: There is a constant evolution through the ray of creation. Everything in creation changes, appears, disappears and transforms. If human evolution takes about a hundred years, a star's evolution is about ten billion years. In this respect we need to consider proportions and seeing reality as it is. We are but a tiny unnoticed part of creation and our being and destiny should include cooperation between all living creatures on planet Earth.
Ted Barr was born in Constance Romania and lives in Israel, he is a painter, published author, teacher, lecturer and curator. His large scale paintings are influenced by images from the Hubble telescope of galaxies and supernovas and inner body photographs of embryos and cellular structures based off of microscope images. His paintings explore the similarity between both, the great and small, that humans are made up of the same stuff that makes up the galaxy and in turn the universe. His theme, "As above, so below” is about uniting the greatness above and beyond with the greatness within. His use of color is based on philosophies of energy and extensive research done by the artist himself, obtained using only natural, non-synthetic materials. In his own words, he has studied “the meaning of colors as expression of different levels of energy”. In 2006 Barr began his experimentation with tar, which led to the development of the multi-layered tar technique that is used in most of his paintings. A combination of tar, acrylic and oil colors with lacquer. Ted is the founder of the Current Art Group a platform for established and emerging artists to share ideas and come together for artist's shows.