Lisl Barry is originally from Cape Town, a graphic art graduate (Cape Technikon 1991) who majored in Printmaking and Photography. She lived with her nature conservation husband and their two young daughters on a remote nature reserve in the Little Karoo (Gamkaberg) for 23 years and they then relocated to Oudtshoorn in 2017 where her studio is now based. This lifestyle of being immersed in nature has greatly influenced her work and her perception of the world. She is passionate about the environment and natural living.
Lisl began painting watercolours in earnest in 1985 at the age of 15, and oils in 2001. Her graphic design background (pre-digital technology) shaped the way she sees everyday scenes around her as a graphic interplay of light, colours, textures and shapes; she is constantly aware of the striking and the subtle patterns within them; and of the tensions and energies created between shapes and lines. Of how all these aspects can be used within her compositions to inspire emotion.
From the artist :
“I believes that art, in any form, is vital to opening our eyes anew to the world around us – to make us see everyday things or situations in a way which we may not have previously experienced and, regarding her own work specifically, to reflect upon our relationship as humans to the environment, on a local and global level.
The paintings on exhibition here form part of my ‘Breathe’ tree series. Perhaps I am projecting but I found it interesting how this time of lockdown has seemed to intensify everyone’s appreciation of time spent in nature, as though being forced into contained spaces we realised what we gain from these experience and that we need to slow down and give the environment a chance to breathe. Trees are teeming with life, light, energy and music; even the dappled shadows they cast are quite, quite beautiful. And let us not forget, most importantly, they give us life through their breath.”
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