This exhibition is a visual representation of a persona. This persona is worked through the use of found materials and fiber. Persona literally means 'mask' or 'character'. But, no matter how hard you try to put forth a certain face, there may be some things that you think you are hiding but you are not...

When the German-Austrian sculptor Franz Xaver Messerschmidt (1736-1783) worked on his collection of busts of faces contorted in extreme facial expressions, he omitted every detail that would reveal the social position of the character or distract the viewer from the artist's main ambition: Naked and bold, his "character heads" would show the reflection of the inner emotion through pure and unadorned facial expression, or rather grimaces? He casted an expression usually gone within seconds in bronze. Naked and bold: Messerschmidt's heads somehow remind the viewer of a baby, which is not yet able to communicate his emotions, his fears and his joy through words and language. Naked and bold: Barbara Wakefield's sculpture "Reluctant" (2007-2008) consists of three heads of a new born baby. Is it the moment of his birth, only his head is already visible. The rest of his body, his mother, the bed and the hospital stay invisible. It is the crucial moment of separation, of individuation, of the beginning of a new life. The newborn's expression shows ultimate strenuousness. But in a few minutes it will scream for the first time. Barbara Wakefield's sculpture shows three variations of the baby's head: One is made of blue wool, the next consists of wax and the third is made of bronze.

For this piece, materials play such a significant role. In my work I am constantly drawing on the human condition, in particular the significance of emotion. Using wool, beeswax and bronze was a very conscious choice for this work. Each material has a specific strength as well as a weakness or potential draw back. The bronze is extremely strong, yet heavy and costly. The wool is durable and nearly weightless, yet can be easily deconstructed or manipulated if someone desired to do so. The beeswax has such strength yet huge vulnerability to heat and pressure. To me, all of these qualities exist within our life and the struggles and experiences that every person may encounter. It is in the subtlety that I find significance and strength. This piece represents the common struggle of everyone involved in the human experience. (Barbara Wakefield)

The qualities of the different materials Barbara Wakefield uses for her work are essential. For "Dry Heart" she used felt. Making felt out of wool and soap water is a long process. Through permanent fulling the wool fibers are transformed and thickened to warming felt (reminding Joseph Beuys' usage of the special material produced in all cultures over the world). The artist gets within a intense dialogue with "her" material.

I like to form an emotional bond with the materials I am working with. The connection acquired by a smell or texture allows me to reveal my most raw feelings and emotions with out hesitation. (Barbara Wakefield)

"Reluctant" and "Dry Heart" will be shown at Gallery UNO's booth at the BERLINER LISTE 2009 in Berlin from 24-27 September 2009.

BARBARA WAKEFIELD received her BFA from the Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, in 2007. In 2006 she was awarded with the Talent Scholarship, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago. Since 2006 she had several group and solo exhibitions in Chicago. It is her second exhibition at Gallery UNO: In 2008 ARTexhibitionLink.com's gallery space showed "Dialogue" together with psychologist J. E. Baker.

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