Rooted in Mexican folk art and the Latin American Catholic shrines of her upbringing, Lisa Marie Barber came to believe that ornamentation and excess denoted value and importance. Materials weren’t required to be “fine,” and tools were expected to be simple. Evidence of “the hand” (the maker) was never something to be self-conscience of or craftily removed. This style of creating is evident in her large-scale ceramic sculptures and installations made from recycled clay.
With a playful combination of ceramic sculptures, pottery and mixed media quilts, Barber channels her various inspirations — Mexican folk art from her heritage, Bay Area figurative abstraction, children’s art, and her own garden — to bring an exhibition of artwork made from the joy that overflows through the act of creating. Her works are imagined conceptions of home, gardens, friends, playfulness and celebration. They are personal meditations on the happiness and beauty that outlines every day.
Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Lisa Marie earned her Bachelor of Science degree in sociology, with an art minor, at Northern Arizona University and a Master of Fine Art degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a full professor in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside where she teaches ceramics, art foundations and studio seminars, and works as the community liaison in the arts.
