Longtime central Ohio artist Dorothy Gill Barnes describes the inspiration for her work – twisting wood sculptures and baskets reminiscent of the trees they came from – as being rooted in a childhood love of nature.
Pardon the pun.
Photo courtesy of Keith Kresge
“I had a younger sister. We used to play together,” says Barnes. “One of the first things we did every summer is play in the asparagus bed, so I’ve always loved being outdoors.”
Barnes got her start in sculpture while growing up in Strawberry Point, Iowa by taking advantage of the only public artistic opportunity available to her: making sets for plays.
“We didn’t have art classes at Strawberry Point,” says Barnes. “All we did with art was decorating for plays.”
After leaving Strawberry Point, Barnes went on to attend Coe College in Cedar Rapids and the University of Iowa, among others, eventually earning a master’s degree from the University of Iowa. She now lives and works in Worthington.
Though Barnes’ primary material is wood, her work is a far cry from traditional woodworking. She incorporates fiber and, most recently, thanks to a partnership with glassblowing students from The Ohio State University’s Department of Art, glass.
“(My) process includes weaving fiber and textiles,” she says. “It just kind of comes together.”
Barnes’ work has evolved significantly throughout her career. Her earlier work, such as her 1984 piece Banded Pine Bark Basket, was closer to traditional basketry, but her pieces have grown more abstract over time.
Photo courtesy of Dorothy Gill Barnes
Now, Barnes’ work is much more focused on preserving and exploring the shapes of living trees. In one of her most recent pieces, Mulberry Tree with Roots, Barnes showcases her fascination with the roots of mulberry trees.
“When you open up the soil under a mulberry tree, the roots are bright yellow with purple stripes,” she says.
After being exposed to oxygen, the roots turn bright orange, and it is these orange roots that are the centerpiece of Mulberry Tree with Roots.
Barnes’ work involves a certain respect and reverence for living trees, as well as a focus on sustainability. One of her other recent pieces, Shagbark Hickory Basket, is made from the bark of hickory trees on a property she owns in Brinkhaven, Ohio. She strips pieces of the bark from the trees while allowing them to continue growing.
Photo courtesy of Cory Piehowicz
Barnes is involved with the McConnell Arts Center in Worthington, and plans to donate some of her leftover materials both to the McConnell and to local schools to encourage artistic interest in children.
“I like to see what the children do there,” says Barnes.
For Barnes, art is important for every city, but Columbus may just have that spark of something special that makes it a great place to foster creativity.
“I think art is important to many people, many industries, many places,” says Barnes. “Some cities have something special. In Columbus, we have a variety of people working in the arts, and lots of ideas. It’s about the people and where they are.”
Barnes’ work is featured in the Philadelphia Center for Art in Wood’s exhibit Dorothy Gill Barnes and Dona Look: Beyond the Trees. Barnes has three pieces in the exhibit, which runs through April 23.
Athnie McMillan-Comeaux is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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