Barbara Earl Thomas: In Process exhibition on view in Fisher Fine Arts Library

April 1, 2024

Fisher Fine Arts Library
On view through May 22, 2024

Presented in conjunction with Barbara Earl Thomas: The Illuminated Body at the Arthur Ross Gallery, this process exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the artistic methods behind Thomas’ intricate and luminous cut-paper works. Installed within the historic Fisher Fine Arts Library, the exhibition traces the materials, inspirations, and studio practices that shape Thomas’ distinctive visual language.

Through a selection of studio materials, preparatory elements, and documentary photographs, visitors are invited to explore the layered process through which Thomas develops her richly detailed portraits and installations. The presentation also includes examples of illuminated manuscripts that informed the creation of Thomas’ immersive Transformation Room, highlighting the historical sources that resonate within her contemporary practice.

By bringing together fragments of research, experimentation, and making, the exhibition reveals how Thomas transforms drawing, cutting, and light into powerful narrative forms. The display offers insight into the artist’s sustained engagement with storytelling, history, and the expressive possibilities of paper.

This process exhibition is presented in conjunction with the traveling exhibition Barbara Earl Thomas: The Illuminated Body on view in the Arthur Ross Gallery. It will also be featured as part of a Penn Lifelong Learning Global Discovery Series “Illuminated Body: The Portraits of Barbara Earl Thomas” program led by Emily Zimmerman, Director of Exhibitions and Curatorial Affairs at the Arthur Ross Gallery and curator of the exhibition, offering audiences an expanded look at the ideas, references, and artistic processes that shape Thomas’ work.