Born Granite Quarry, North Carolina

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Painter Michael Barringer draws on a diverse history of both written and visual cultures from across the globe. His current bodies of work are inspired by artistic traditions which highlight the innate human impulse to create: that of the quilts of Gee's Bend, Alabama, and the ancient, decorative objects found at Blombos Cave, South Africa.

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Speaking on the influence of Gee's Bend, Barringer states, "My work has changed from being driven by an external, imposed narrative, to each painting being moved along by formal concerns, arising from within its own unique nature. I have flattened the space in these works, and brought the visual information up front. I think of these as assembled objects, like the quilts themselves."

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Barringer's work can be found in corporate and public collections including Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia; Saks Fifth Avenue, Georgia; King and Spalding, Georgia; Federal Reserve Bank, Missouri; Ritz Carlton Hotel, Texas; Duke Children's Hospital and Health Center, North Carolina; University of Arkansas Medical Center, Arkansas.