Just recently I have discovered the work of the artist Hannelore Barron (1926-1987), for me her work is amazing, the type of work I would dream of making. Self taught she made collages and small box assemblages that drew upon her experiences as a Holocaust survivor, cancer patient, and a person who suffered periodic depression. Barron found more than solace in her art she found a fountain of creativity in which to explore her feelings and ideas.
She developed a profoundly personal iconography, which included abbreviated human figures, birds, patterns and hieroglyphics to symbolize her own anguish as well as that of humanity. The intimate scale of her work (few collages are larger than 12 inches) and their abstract qualities help the themes achieve their universal appeal.
Untitled 1973, mixed media collage.
Untitled 1977, mixed media collage.
Untitled 1988, mixed media collage.
Born in Dillingen, Germany, Barron experienced the early horrors of the Holocaust. On the night of November 9th 1938 know as Kristallnacht, Nazis pillaged Jewish businesses, synagogues and houses, including Barron's home. After a series of moves throughout Europe the family escaped to the United States in 1941, settling in New York city, where Barron studied Applied Design at the Straubenmuller textile high school.
Untitled, mixed media collage.
Untitled 1976, mixed media collage.
Barron's first collages made in the 1960's when she was in her 40's were composed of old torn paper, ink and watercolour. She later incorporated cloth, etchings and mono prints into her work. With their torn and tattered edges and fragments of chipped wood Barron's pieces are imbued with a sense of passing time and the frailty of the human spirit. Her art touches on issues that were prevalent during her lifetime, including the Vietnam war, industrial pollution and civil rights.
Untitled 1978, mixed media collage.
Untitled 1982, mixed media collage.
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