Deborah Baronas, Dropcloths: Tales of a Process

January 19—March 16, 2024
Opening Reception: Friday, January 19, 5:30-7:30 

ARTIST STATEMENT:

I make artwork about work. For over a decade I have been exploring the lives of workers who came before us and serve as the bedrock of our diverse culture, from mill workers, farmers, domestic servants, to soldiers. Whether American-born, immigrants, or enslaved, my focus remains the same: to capture their spirit, tenacity, and hope.

My work is also about heritage; the challenge of moving through changing circumstances without losing touch with the past. The interaction between art and history speaks to people on many levels. One continues to inform the other.

Based on my own experiences and working-class heritage in farming and textiles, I commenced work on studies of the history of these industries. This was inspiration for subsequent work on other industries, as well as systemic societal afflictions such as the opioid crisis and slavery which have been the focus of my work. Through the work, I discovered my passion for history, recording stories and visually sharing them through immersive sculptural installations. I also enjoy making visible forms, developing color stories and layering surfaces.

Sharing common experiences through the visual arts opens doors to conversations about our history, the future and how we fit into the global community. My goal is to broaden the scope of my work into a more universal exploration, visually portraying shared stories of cultural and economic change in other cultures, opening doors for conversations that build multinational relationships and understanding.

These projects have inspired me to use my art to open up trans-national dialogues, worker-to-worker on globalization, its impact on industry and the lives of those displaced: art enabling new narratives to be told about what globalization leaves behind. 

ARTIST BIO:

Deborah Baronas grew up on a New England farm and came of age as a designer in the textile industry. These working cultures have influenced her artistic investigations into the history of the American worker. Textiles are Baronas’ primary medium. In site-specific installations she creates interactive environments with scrims, paintings, drawings, video, music and photography. She draws inspiration through interviews, site visits, historical research and archival photographs. Baronas graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and worked in the textile industry in the US and Europe for many years. She has exhibited her work at the Newport Art Museum, American Textile History Museum, Fuller Craft Museum, among many other New England venues. She has been the recipient of grants from RISCA and RICH and recently received a commission for a permanent installation in the new RI Veterans Home. Her art and design business is in Warren, Rhode Island.