Barrie Jones: look don’t look
to
Kelowna Art Gallery 1315 Water St, Kelowna, British Columbia V1Y 9R3
Barrie Jones, "YOUNG ACTORS EMOTE," 2018-2022
video stills, photos courtesy of the artist.
Audiences can explore five playful, intimate, and multifaceted video works that will thrust them into an exploration of the complexities of portraiture and human identity.
Upon entering look don’t look, visitors will first encounter COUPLES (2017 – 2021), a dual monitor video installation that features 22 real-life couples who pose and directly address the viewer, while off-camera a disruption creates tension and complicates their ability to stand still.
Projected on the wall opposite is YOUNG ACTORS EMOTE (2018 – 2022). It features young actors who were asked to perform different emotions or expressions, leaving audiences to wonder whether the resulting imagery is staged or authentic.
Barrie Jones comments, “I found it somewhat ironic and a little humorous having professional actors putting all their acting chops into performing emoji pictograms. In a way, I am asking them to turn those stylized, pictographic emotions back into the authentic human expressions from which they were derived.”
Using video and projection, look don’t look examines the changing nature of our social connections and relationships, as well as the impact of social media on who we are and how we express ourselves.
Barrie Jones holds a BFA from the University of British Columbia and an MFA from York University. Jones has long been associated with Vancouver and he spent many years teaching photography in UBC’s Department of Art History, Visual Art, and Theory. Jones has an extensive exhibition record, and his work is held in numerous collections across Canada.
Image Credits
Barrie Jones, video stills from YOUNG ACTORS EMOTE (details), 2018–2022. Photos courtesy of the artist.
Barrie Jones, video stills from COUPLES (left to right: Clinton and Louis, Eirik and Eli, Julien and Samantha), 2017–2021, dual monitor video (22:17 mins). Photos courtesy of the artist.
Resources
Webpage: https://kelownaartgallery.com/look-dont-look/
Arist’s Webpage: https://www.barriejones.ca/
To arrange for an interview with Barrie Jones, or for additional high-res images please contact:
Joshua Desnoyers
Marketing and Events Coordinator
Kelowna Art Gallery
1315 Water Street, Kelowna, BC V1Y 9