Barbara Burns

My work is driven by my fascination with the human face and form, in part because I grew up surrounded by my mother’s collection of masks and sculpture. The tactile experience of working with fiber, along with the richness of the woven surface excites and drives me. The medium of  tapestry allows me to create an image in a cloth with a depth of color and texture I feel I can achieve no other way.  

In my Burlesque Series I am using images of belly dancing and drag to create a body of work of women baring their bodies in dance. Using stage names, the performers create new personas, as they expose themselves. My intention is to use tapestry to capture the performers' risk-taking, while challenging the objectification of women. I'm exploring the tension, perhaps contradictions, between stripping for self-actualization and objectification. The “Burlesque Series” is motivated by the personal choice of dancers to bare our bodies to praise and empower ourselves.