Artwork copyright Barbara Earl Thomas. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Trees In Firelight I, 1998

Barbara Earl Thomas
(American, born 1948)

Location: Franklin Elementary School, Tacoma

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

'Trees in Firelight I' is part of artist Barbara Earl Thomas' series of paintings that feature imagery of fire and natural disaster to explore concepts of chaos and control. She notes, "fire and water are basic elements found in the natural world that make life possible but can also wipe it out. We live with it in our homes, in the landscape of the real world and as the metaphor of the mystery that surrounds our lives."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Tacoma School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist and writer Barbara Earl Thomas creates visual narratives that investigate social, psychological, and formal themes. Her art is informed by a "long and consistent practice of including the world in her art and her life in the world." She works in many mediums and materials, including painting, glass, paper, metal, wood, and egg tempera.

Barbara Earl Thomas earned her Master of Arts degree in 1977 from the University of Washington in Seattle. She is a former Director of the Northwest African American Museum in Seattle. In 2016, she was honored with a Washington State Governor's Arts and Heritage Award and the Twining Humber Award for lifetime artistic achievement.