Barbara Browne is a contemporary collage artist based in Boyle, Co. Roscommon, Ireland.
Combining both traditional and digital collage techniques, she is best known for her re-interpretation and re-compositioning of collected elements by combining images harvested from vintage books and digital archives, hand painted papers, and salvaged ephemera.
Her subject matter involves creating narratives or tableaux that explore common yet intimate human experiences. Observations and experiences gained through traveling, teaching, and immersion into various communities has moulded her perceptions and inevitably found their way into her work.
Her artwork is characterised by a layering process that draws inspiration from early collage practices particularly of the mid-19th early 20th centuries. Original artworks are made into fine art prints on high quality archival paper and hand finished.
The Process
Browne often begins her pieces by establishing a backdrop of color, texture, or pattern, setting the stage for the unfolding of a story. Surrounded by her collection of materials—hand-printed papers, vintage books and publications, photographs, and ephemera—she carefully selects elements that speak to her, arranging them as if solving a puzzle or decoding a mystery. Through this process of juxtaposing images and materials, a narrative begins to emerge, guiding the piece in a direction.
"Juxtaposing images and materials begins to reveal a narrative and the piece takes on a direction. I follow it, listen to it, respond and collaborate with it. I hope these narratives, although personal in conception, speak to a wider audience about what it means to be human."
Background and Education
Barbara Browne grew up in the suburbs of New York, studied art in London, and taught high school (A Level) at international schools in Asia for over 10 years. She earned a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London, in 1999, and in 2008 completed a Post Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) in Art from Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia.
See a selection of her work here on our website and instore.
