Storm Watch: The Art of Barbara Earl Thomas FROM THE PUBLISHER
As a painter and writer of prodigious talent and visionary sensibility, Barbara Earl Thomas continues to spark increasing attention both regionally and nationally. The granddaughter of southern sharecroppers who migrated to Seattle in the middle 1940s, Thomas expresses in her art a dual heritage, translating her own vision of southern roots and culture into a northwestern landscape. In her paintings, Thomas incorporates themes of people and their rituals with the land, weaving images around the metaphor of place as both a geographical and spiritual location. Her essay, 'Passing Secrets,' not only offers a perceptive sketch of the attitudes of black immigrants to the Northwest but also provides a personal insight into her technical and philosophical approach. Because her use of imagery is highly symbolic, Storm Watch has an appeal that crosses the boundaries of artistic media -- of painting and writing -- and transcends regional locale.
FROM THE CRITICS
Booknews
An interpretive essay (by Vicki Halper) and an essay by Seattle artist Thomas herself precede presentation of 20 plates featuring tempera paintings produced between 1982 and 1997. 10x10 Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
A stunning book. Ursula Hegi