Barry Underwood was born in Wilmington, in 1963. He began attending college as a theatre major in 1986. He took a photography class as an elective and found it interesting. went on to receive both a BA in Theatre and in Photography from Indiana University Northwest (IN). He then received an MFA in Photography from Cranbrook Academy of Art (MI). His background in theatre has been helpful in his art career, as he believes that they are both forms of storytelling.
Barry Underwood finds inspiration in the world using his talent to shed light on the historical significance of landscapes and the detrimental effects of human actions. With research he creates works such as the photograph titled “Drill,” capturing the balance between nature and human intervention. His intention is to captivate viewers with his artwork and prompt them to think about the importance of nature. The image below likely portrays the consequences of oil drilling and how borders impact our surroundings.
Light painting is a technique is based in photography. To create a light painting, a camera is set to a very long exposure. This means that the shutter stays open for a long time, which allows the camera to collect much more light. When lights are moved in front of the camera, their path gets traced like paint on a canvas in the final image.
Performing some long exposures as a test is a good way to see how much time it takes to get the amount of illumination you want in your scene. Keeping track of time is pretty important. For one, the speed at which you move the light impacts it’s brightness. For instance, the longer you hold a light in one spot, the more time the camera will have to absorb the light, which will make it brighter in the final photo. The process usually involves multiple attempts, so being preparing with photos of the desired scene and sketches of the artwork can go a long way.
One of Barry’s more interesting photographs was taken at Horseshoe Lake , Ohio. Horseshoe lake was created when Doan Brook was damned nearly 200 years ago to power a mill. It was drained 5 years ago after a sinkhole was identified in the lake. The lake was unhealthy, yet residents still protested to bring it back, solely for recreational or aesthetic value.
I think the Mobius Strip represents the paradoxical state of the arguments over this lake. People wanted the land to be in its “natural state” while unaware that it was never a lake to begin with. This shows how our values can encourage unnatural formations in nature.
Another photograph from Barry with ecological motivations is “Euclid Beach”. It was taken at Euclid Beach Park in Cleveland, Ohio. The beach rests on the shoreline of Lake Erie, right next to the city. The image is divided by segments of green light, as shown below.
This final photograph, titled Wendover II, has an interesting story behind it. “Wendover II” was taken in Wendover, Utah. The photograph of the salt flats resembles a lunar or martian landscape. Experimenting with this idea, Barry painted crosshair marks for his photograph. These marks were used in the past for cameras to ensure that the geometry of the image remained intact. This is important for pictures on the moon since it’s quite difficult to get there. I think this light painting was created by suspending several large glow sticks in the air, most likely on strings. This is probably the case since Barry said he had difficulties with the wind.
To see more of Barry’s artwork, visit his website at https://www.barryunderwood.com/
Sources:
ARTSPACE. n.d. “Barry Underwood.” Artspace. Retrieved September 6, 2023 (https://www.artspace.com/artists/barry_underwood).
Cleveland Arts Prize. n.d. “Barry Underwood.” Retrieved September 6, 2023 (http://clevelandartsprize.org/awardees/barry_underwood.html).
Cooper, Tim. 2016. “Staying Invisible While Light Painting—The Art of Not Being Seen.” National Parks at Night. Retrieved September 6, 2023 (https://www.nationalparksatnight.com/blog/2016/9/27/staying-invisible-while-light-paintingthe-art-of-not-being-seen).
LightPaintingBrushes. n.d. “Light Painting Tutorial.” Light Painting Brushes. Retrieved September 6, 2023 (https://lightpaintingbrushes.com/pages/light-painting-tutorials).
MasterClass. n.d. “Complete Guide to Light Painting Photography: Tips, Techniques, and Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Your Camera for Light Painting – 2023.” MasterClass. Retrieved September 6, 2023 (https://www.masterclass.com/articles/the-best-light-painting-photography-tips).
Underwood, Barry. n.d. “Barry Underwood.” BARRY UNDERWOOD. Retrieved September 6, 2023 (https://www.barryunderwood.com).
Wunderlich, Bruce. 2021. “Beginner’s Guide to Light Painting.” Digital Photography School. Retrieved September 6, 2023 (https://digital-photography-school.com/beginners-guide-to-light-painting/).