“It feels like words have never been so important – those written in the press, posted across social media and in speeches from our politicians. In volatile times words can be dangerous.”
B. Barford
Selected Drawings 2016-2018

Barnaby working on Empower, 2019

Empower, 2018 Pencil on Paper H151.5 x L199 cm
As part of his ongoing research into understanding the perceived lack of happiness in major Western democracies, Barford has been working with words to explore the complex nature of the socio-cultural environment we live in today. These words – Reality, Courage, More, Power, Trust, and many more – repeated over and over, hold up a mirror to society, prompting us to reflect upon inequalities, obsessions, systems of belief.
Repetition (accumulation) is key in Barford’s work; from his large-scale energetic word drawings to the monumental sculptures created from thousands of individual industrially produced ceramic pieces, he constructs layered narratives that develop below the surface. In the case of the Word Drawings, the same word is repeated until its meaning becomes warped.

Truth, 2018 Giclée Print H208 x L148 x D7.5 cm

Celebrity, 2018 Giclée Print H208 x L148 x D7.5 cm

Installation view at EXPO Chicago, 2018

Conflict, 2018 Giclée Print H208 x L148 x D7.5 cm

Growth, 2018 Giclée Print H208 x L148 x D7.5 cm

Reality, 2017

Reality (detail), 2017

Privilege, 2018

Privilege (detail), 2018

More, 2018

Fame, 2016

Power, 2018

Change, 2018
For instance, in ‘Facts’, Barford wanted to reflect upon what facts mean today. A fact is something that is proved to be true, but now we live in a post-facts society. We are overloaded with so-called facts but can no longer discern what is true or false.
In part due to the overwhelming ocean of unverified information we drown in, it feels like truth has never been less influential in shaping opinions, and we face a general confusion in knowing who to trust.

Facts, 2016 Graphite on paper H160.7 x L210.2 cm

Courage, 2017 Graphite on paper H112 x L76 cm

Trust, 2018 Pencil on Paper H110 x L100 cm

Wealth (detail), 2017

Wealth, 2017

More, 2017

ECSTASY, 2017