Balancing Act by Barret Lee


Balancing Act
// October 22 – November 20, 2021 //A solo exhibition by Barret Lee exploring distinctions of chaos and harmony in the world around us to create balance amidst our reality. Shop this exhibition today! 


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Balancing Act showcases an unreleased body of work from Minneapolis painter, Barret Lee, encompassing the characters he has been illustrating since childhood and subject matters he has expanded upon since graduating from MCAD in 2016. Drawing from his biggest inspirations: surrealism, graffiti and cartoons, Lee utilizes a combination of acrylics, spray paint and occasional collage, expressing a whimsical theme throughout his work, personifying fantastical worlds that encourage the viewer to escape from the chaos of reality. 

Barret sees painting as a form of communicating unrestrained thoughts and softening the discord of everyday experience. His unique approach to surrealism stimulates the audience’s imagination and emotions. Naturally, this exhibition reveals that when we maximize our creative capacity, chaos and balance do not merely coexist but can actually live in harmony with one another.

“Those three worlds I look to mold into one of modern escapism. I create fantastical characters and floating landscapes in search of a utopian outlook on life”, says Barret. Like many of his previous bodies of work, Balancing Act features constructs of paradisal wonderlands, however this solo exhibition focuses on satirizing the state of the world and how it affects our mental wellbeing and existence. His use of poppy, saturated colors will draw viewers in as they are given an opportunity to explore the macro- and microcosms that Lee has unleashed from his mind

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MEMBERS ONLY PREVIEW NIGHT:
Thursday, October 21, 2021 //  6-8pm
Meet & greet with Barret Lee!
• RSVP Required
• Memberships required, become a member today!!

PUBLIC OPENING NIGHT:
Friday, October 22, 2021 // 6-9pm
$7, FREE for members
Pre-sales available and recommended
• Featuring Michaelton
• Entry will be available at the door
• Masks required indoors

ARTIST TALK:
Wednesday, November 3, 2021 // 7pm
Moderated by Russ White of MPLSART
$5 pre-sales, $7door, FREE for members
• Pre-sales available and recommended
• Entry will be available at the door if pre-sales do not sell out
• Masks required indoors

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ABOUT THE ARTIST

Barret Lee is a Minnesota based fine artist and illustrator with a BA in drawing and painting from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) in 2016. Barret is a multidisciplinary artist who works in a range of mediums. He paints a wide variety of subjects, including wide-eyed characters, playful landscapes, and his take on pop culture.

Since graduating, Barret Lee has participated in countless art fairs and exhibitions around the Midwest, with Gamut Gallery being a staple consistently showcasing his work since 2017. Barret has permanent collections on view at Rafter Lofts Minneapolis, Saluté Dental in Woodbury Minnesota, and Arete Lacrosse at the TCF performance center in Eagan. He currently works as a freelance fine artist and you may find him at his studio #385 in the historic Northrup King Building in Northeast Minneapolis.