albertz benda, New York | DEL KATHRYN BARTON | sing blood-wings sing

The exhibition "sing blood-wings sing" by trailblazing artist Del Kathryn Barton, whose recent institutional exhibitions have positioned her as one of the leading artists in Australia is on view at albertz benda gallery in New York.

The artist will debut her largest bronze sculpture to-date, alongside monumental work on canvas and her iconic portraits, immersing viewers in her intricate portrayals of motherhood, femininity, and desire. In the sculpture ‘here she HEAR,’ Barton translates stylized forms of her highly sought-after paintings into bronze. The elongated limbs and ears sprouting from throughout the body elevate the figure to the status of a goddess-like character.

Comprised of five panels and over 30 feet in length, sing blood-wings sing (2017) was the centerpiece of Barton’s 2017 retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Inspired by the 1963 Peter, Paul and Mary song, Puff the Magic Dragon, the work is a testament to fantastical creativity untempered by age and a celebration of the simultaneous vulnerability and fierceness of youth. Each panel depicts humanoid characters with an abundance of eyes, limbs, and breasts fused with plant life, fauna, and abstract forms.

The works in the exhibition have a sacred quality. Not only do the scale and paneled format of the paintings recall altarpieces, the subjects themselves evoke comparisons Byzantine icons – luminous figures devoid of perspectival depth and surrounded by jewel-like detailing Barton’s oeuvre is an exuberant homage to the multifaceted nature of womanhood – from sensually distorted bodies to nurturing mothers - all aspects existing simultaneously within each
work.