Barbara Rogers

Every day, as we try to stay informed, we read or watch the news. Occasionally there are reports of the contributions, achievements, and courageous acts by people that make us feel pride in being human. More often though, we are bombarded with images of misery, cruelty, devastation, deception, and greed. These presentations of moderated truth are ubiquitous reminders of the ugliness that can be created by humans. I make paintings to transcend daily life and the six o’clock news, to evoke the sublime, to reaffirm the existence of beauty and the critical importance of cherishing the earth.

I paint because the act of painting is direct; it is another truth—you make a mark and there it is, just you and this act of creation. When I paint, I am an explorer in the terrain of my own psyche, discovering what relationships will emerge as the work develops. I depart from representational accuracy to select and then exaggerate or simplify the stunning botanical forms that are present in the world around me.

– Barbara Rogers

Often in the work of Barbara Rogers the events, wonders and beauty of the garden are seen as a seen a microcosm of the world. In Roger’s paintings, seed pods soar, the heat of the mid-day desert contrasts with the aroma of creosote in a desert rain, and abstract arabesques reign creating a visual language that is hers alone. Her mastery of color, texture, shape, and form is undeniable. The paintings are abstract, generous, and inviting. They are masterful in every sense of the word.

“Roger’s love and respect for nature has been with her from her earliest paintings depicting nature as a pleasurable paradise to her mature works depicting nature as having won the battle. She continues to revel in the awesome beauty and power of the elements and humankind’s relationship with the life forms that exist within them.”

– Julie Sasse, Curator, Tucson Museum of Art

Barbara Rogers is represented in major public and private collections including The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, AZ; The Oakland Museum of Art, CA; The San Jose Museum of Art, CA and The Arizona State University Museum, Tempe, AZ and the Tucson Museum of Art, AZ.