Thomas Barnett Chapel Hill, North Carolina Award of Excellence $2,000 Age 20

"My series of self portraits shift between the various stages of emotional self-perception, including ideal self-image states, emotional and besieged states, and my state of existence in multiple realities."

Thomas Barnett recalls art as a fun and meaningful pursuit, as a personal respite from the challenges of living with progressive Friedrich's Ataxia. "Working on art allowed my brain to rest in some overused areas and be stimulated in creative thought in others." Barnett explored many media and eventually took an internship under Dick Hill in digital graphics. He credits this three year internship with motivating his college and career plans. Within this self portrait series, Barnett has put aside the straight lines, smooth curves, and clean surfaces generated by his computer. He uses line and graphic media to convey and express pure emotion. "I have rediscovered meaningful hand drawing; here I abandon motor control to mold an expressive image."

www.elon.edu/student/tbarnett/

Influential Art Teachers/Professors:
Dick Hill, Hillstudio, North Carolina