UPPER VALLEY: Barbara Bartlett - Art of Tea

Come Round for Tea, 12 x 12 x 1, Tea bags, bamboo sieve

Barbara Bartlett – The Art of Tea II
Opening Reception: 
Friday, October 19, 5-7pm
Gallery Talk: Thursday, November 15, 5:30pm
October 19 – November 16, 2012
E.N. Wennberg Gallery and Gallery 3

Barbara Bartlett, of Woodstock, VT, grew up in Chicago and pursued a career in special education and social work before following what had been a longtime interest in art. Bartlett initially studied watercolor and acrylic painting, but soon became drawn to printmaking. The aspects of layering and texturing easily translated into mixed media, which has been the focus of her work for the past several years. While still continuing to create two-dimensional work, she has recently become fascinated by the possibilities of working three dimensionally, using re-cycled or re-purposed material.

Bartlett has exhibited work throughout the country and in Australia and is represented in private and corporate collections in the United States, Europe and Australia. She now divides her time between studios in Vermont and Sydney.

Tea Weaves, 46 x 40, Tea bags, red thread

For her exhibition at AVA, Bartlett will be exhibiting her “tea series.” The artist has been a lover of tea since childhood and three years ago tea bags began to show up in her artwork. Bartlett states: “Since then, I have immersed myself in the world of the overlooked, discarded tea bag—the beauty of the stained paper, the subtle colors of the spent tea leaves, the bright variety of tea tag designs, and even the simple charm of stained tea strings. I love the aspect of recycling and reuse that comes into play in this work. Although the process of drying and dissembling the bags can be labor intensive, there is also a satisfying and meditative quality to re-purposing the materials.”

 Note: Images which appear here may not be part of exhibit.




Barbara Bartlett will give a gallery talk on Thursday, November 15 at 5:30pm.
The talk is free and open to the public.
 
AVA Gallery and Art Center11 Bank Street Lebanon, NH 03766
www.avagallery.org
603.448.3117

Gallery Hours:Tues–Sat, 11am-5pm • Thurs until 7pm
and by appointment