Barnes’ interest in art began at an early age, while attending groups such as the “Panorama Art Club” from the age of twelve. This formal art training continued later at Kingston College of TAFE SA, where he completed a Foundation course in Visual Art. Where his peers continued onto a degree course in Visual Art, he chose instead to focus on obtaining a psychology education, completing a Double Major in Psychology at the University of Queensland.
This education led to Barnes’ employment at the University of Queensland and University of Adelaide in the Psychology research field. Also while at the University of Queensland he contributed animation and illustration to the education of Magnetic Resonance Physics.
As part of his work for the University of Queensland, he was enrolled in and completed a Graduate Certificate in Digital Design from Griffith University. These aspects of formal training and work experience in the digital presentations of visual forms influenced his thinking on the technical aspects of representational art. Barnes’ undertook further studies in 2003 when he attended the Julian Ashton School of Art for four months.
Barnes’ major achievement in the Visual Arts thus far is to have been short listed twice for the Blake Prize for Religious Art in 2002 and 2003. In addition, he has staged a single solo exhibition at the University of Queensland Staff Club in 2002.
The work short listed for the Blake Prize for Religious Art in 2002 was Spot the odd one out: Titus at the Council in Jerusalem. This work was also included in the Touring Blake prize during 2003.
The work short listed for the Blake Prize for Religious Art in 2003 was Party trick at Cana: Lost marketing opportunities for the new corporation.
Both of these paintings could be considered a commentary on the nature of modern Christianity, whether it be a misapprehension of the key points of concern and debate for Early Christianity, or the obsession with wealth and power vis-a-vis the “prosperity teaching” of the modern Pentacostal churches.
His solo exhibition in 2002 was entitled 'Tennyson’, and was composed of industrial landscapes. They were predominantly tonal compositional works inspired by the interior of the Tennyson Power Station in Brisbane.
- Writers:
-
Daniel
fishel
- Date written:
- 2013
- Last updated:
- 2013
