Biography

Graduated in 2009 with a BFA majoring in Painting from the University of Canterbury, School of Fine Arts, Christchurch, New Zealand. Relocated to Melbourne, Australia in 2010 to continue building her painting practice, participating in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Currently living in Hamburg, Germany. Current artist in residence at Frappant.ev Hamburg.

Barnett’s art practices consists mostly of paintings where figures and bodies skew and morph in fictive spaces. The paintings are sites of contemplation using popular, found imagery and attempt to create uncertainty in the familiar.

Beginning the creative process by collating images from print media and other sources. Cutting them out by hand, then physically arranging them in a diorama-like space. Through the camera lens the figures are distorted, foreshortened and morphed creating a surreal sense of aggregated movement. Optical distortion is used as a tool to analyse, scrutinise and to come to terms with the contemporary image.

Contact: monique (dot) barnett (dot) art (at) gmail.com