A grand dining table boldly occupies the interior, its sinuous solid bronze base expressing the liquidity of the metal casting process and the convergence of organic forms inspired by the natural world. At once aqueous, serpentine and skeletal, the base is hand-finished to give a burnished patina and topped with silvered American Oak, drawing on classic materials that have an enduring presence. “I try to design things that are lost in time”, explains Barbera, “that have a better sense of permanency”.
Atop, a series of polished bronze sculptures are elevated from a scattering of remnant bronze and brass offcuts; treasured artefacts rising from the ashes. “I wanted to make something that is beautiful, tactile and intended to be handled”, Barbera states. Set against the rougher articulation of scrap metal, the lustrous sculptures invite contact and interaction, cranked and carefully suspended as if about to fall. Conceived as an abstracted dining arrangement with a running centrepiece, the exhibition is materially-driven and restrained. The tonal hues of Greg Wood’s abstracted landscapes complete the aesthetic tableau; an enticing composition to experience Barbera’s conceptual thinking and fine metal and timber craftsmanship.
