We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mary Barr Rhodes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Mary Barr , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
My Chalice work has been going on for the past four years and culminated in a group show with seven female artists.
Here is a Chalice statement that I wrote for a show along the way.
Mary Barr Rhodes is an American artist that makes work that melds, paint, glass, rock, and minerals into universal symbols of the divine feminine.
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Rhodes works from her own myth of personal origin. She feels responsible to the force living within her.
“I have been blessed by so many Mothers who have watered my roots. My secret
world honors my legacy and has built a sure ground for me to build upon. Their
presence in my life reveal the Wise Women who made God the Mother real in my life.
Instinctively, Each day in my studio as I create, I feel the responsibility of carrying the journey of return.”
The Chalice symbolizes divine feminine energy. This central figure embodies energy incarnate or a catalyst to the process of becoming. The central chalice grounds the composition while the glass reaches upward to the heavens. The concrete serves as a strong containing element for the oceans within. The movement within the central figure speaks to the germinative ocean within all women. . . The water of life and healing power of the feminine energy reflecting its mysterious depths.
Women are holders of the truth. We are vessels of knowing. We hold love, compassion and nurturing for our world. We understand the ramifications of this truth. We are awakening the divine feminine in our world each day as we walk our walk and speak our truth. We invite the next generation of women to join us. We understand that we are at a turning point.
Rhodes is a shape shifter juxtaposing chards of hand-blown glass that symbolize seeds of regeneration and renewal. It is in the light we find divine energy from within ourselves. The light resonance represents the cyclical nature of time and an eternal stream of vital energy.
Her artwork is an offering to the world and a continuation of the pulse beat of the women that came before her. She finds their presence in the wonder of the natural world. Her daily meditations call in the ancient manifestations of the divine feminine.
Mary Barr , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am an artist. As a child, I wandered our land bonding with nature. I rode my pony pretending to be a Native American princess. I dug into the earth searching and finding arrowheads, learned to walk silently so no one would hear me as I approached and I learned to track animals. Sometimes animals that I shouldn’t have followed. Crows listened to my woes, the wind told me stories and the artifacts I found created a history that I documented in my drawings. So, I have always been an artist.
I want the viewer to feel the light resonance in my works of art. . I create large-scale, mixed media works that emanate light to the viewer through the use of mixed media. For many years, I have explored the use of metallics as a mineral of our earth connoting my ongoing reverence of our planet. I call upon shards of hand-blown glass to bring in a refracted light. Through experimentation, I learned to juxtapose glass in ways to create pockets of light energy. I have also learned that combining the glass with mylar, the light energy is greatly increased. Epoxy resin provides an additional lens to form images and to concentrate a beam of light..
My mission is to bring about positive cultural change through the use of light in my work. Light is associated with honor, hospitality and in eastern religious beliefs light is considered a form of communication with the divine. My personal spiritual practice is played out on the canvas. I consider my artistic process my spiritual practice each day as I enter my studio. As an process artist, I consider my medium to be my message.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, being an artist allows the space and time to think about and explore the meaning of life. Through the creative act, I begin to witness the act of creation. The elements of art parallel life. In the witnessing, creativity becomes my basic immutable law. I become a problem solver that creates ideas for change. I realize and accept that my art has the power to move people and evoke emotions that words can never do justice too. Abstract art opens up portals of higher thinking. Therefore, my art has the power to shape our world and with that recognition, I am honored and committed to my creative process. My artwork allows me to find my voice and to be a storyteller for places yet to be discovered.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My first fight began with my parents who were against me pursuing art as a career. They insisted that I get a degree in art education. As I became a teacher, I learned so many things about materials that it gave me the courage to become a mixed media artist. In my graduate work, the exploration of my medium expanded even further. My students taught me lesson after lesson. Through visiting art galleries and museums I have seen and felt the great masters. Now, through technology, I learn more and more. In my seeking, I learned to look within. That is where I have found me.
I helped establish a county-wide Gifted Art program. I received an additional endorsement in Gifted Education with a focus on Creativity K-12. . Through that work, I looked at my personal creative process that influenced my work still to this day.
Both husbands created barriers on my creative journey until I learned to stand alone in my practice. I now dedicate each day to advancing my work in some manner. I have two beautiful daughters that are my greatest masterpieces. They both work in healthcare and dedicate their lives to helping others. I hope the world recognizes that my artwork is to help others.
Each step of the way, I am learning. I feel most grateful now to look back on the many lessons learned and for all of the individuals who helped me understand that I am an artist and that’s ok. To honestly and authentically be who I truly am each day and always keep moving forward, no matter the barriers before me. The ultimate eye on living a life filled with joy!
Contact Info:
- Facebook: Facebook/marybarrrhodes
- Other: instagram/marybarrrhodes
Image Credits
Photography credit: Joe VanDeHatert, Studio V Cincinnati, OH.