Michael Barber is a mixed media painter and sculptor from Port Dover, Ontario. His compositions are alluring and intriguing. Thick, chipped, scratched and blistered layers of pigment with intermingled splashes of resin create marvellously worn textures to the surfaces of his works. Barber paints on mahogany plywood and uses a variety of methods in his work. He uses resist techniques for paint application and gouging and scratching is done with many different types of everyday items including hand tools, shovels and garden hoes. Exposing earlier layers in his work through this practice helps him to create a sense of time. Barber applies images to the work using a basic printing technique and manipulating the cut after various applications. In regards to his work, Barber states:

“The creation of a piece is a very physical activity. I get lost in the painting and struggle between layers, in the dilemma of exposure and protections. It’s an exhausting process and yet I find it so satisfying.”

Barber is an award-winning artist who has shown his work across Ontario and the United States; including the Hummingbird Centre in Toronto and the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford. His work is included in collections throughout Canada and the US.