William Holman Gallery is pleased to present Everyday Weapons by Gail Goldsmith and Times and Places by Richard Barnet, two concurrent solo exhibitions that will be installed at the gallery from mid-February through mid-March.

Times and Places, an exhibition of watercolors and bronze sculpture by Richard Barnet, is a celebration of life. Though Barnet would describe himself as a sculptor first and a draughtsman second, this exhibition of his drawings in pen, pencil and watercolor offers a rich and vibrant body of work filled with energy and a sense of color all his own.

Reminiscent of Philip Guston’s large liquid pink paintings, which were clustered with objects, figures, and often cigarette ends, Barnet likewise challenges his viewer to work out his messages, meanwhile seducing the viewer with a circus of line, color and motion. His works require active contemplation. Some of Barnet’s watercolors offer sculptural figures and recognizable elements; other works surrender completely to designs of lines and marks, which he unleashes in primary colors.

Reflecting a lifetime of looking and invention, these watercolors compose Barnet’s cosmos, full of abstract, surreal, and narrative elements. Barnet has said, “these drawings are… a kind of play, make-believe. They say, ‘Let’s make something up.’ As I draw, the idea emerges. This can be called improvisation.”

We are privileged to show this remarkable and vivid work, as well as a small group of his bronze sculptures, another subject altogether.

Please join us for the joint opening reception on Wednesday, February 19 from 6 – 8 p.m.