Upon viewing The Europeans, one is drawn to the background of the images as much to the subjects. This is one of Barney’s hallmarks, distinguishing her photographs from standard professional portraits with statically posed subjects in unremarkable settings. She redefines the photographic portrait through her use of selective focus to ensure that specific elements of the image are clear and pristine, directing our attention in subtle and not-so-subtle ways to the sumptuous surroundings. In the end, it is the patterns, texture, color, and composition surrounding the subjects that make her images distinctive.

Beyond the tableaux, Barney’s portraits are not only about the setting of the photograph; they also mimic decisive moments of honesty. These images can be less-than-ideal takes on her subjects, often hinting at distanced social interactions and awkward dynamics among families and peers. The viewer may often be unsure about the authenticity, or spontaneity, of Barney’s perfectly orchestrated moments of "real life." By creating a sense of both formality and intimacy in her photographs, she retains the spontaneity of snapshots while suggesting a more cinematic narrative, rich in its nuances. The mise-en-scène and scale of the photographs can distract the viewer from the relationships between the subjects and the narrative of the work. This clever blurring of the true subject of each photograph, encouraging active involvement from the viewer in finding it, is the remarkable signature of this series.

Tina Barney will present the lecture Survey about her photography on Wednesday, January 25, at 6 p.m. in Eckstein Hall followed by a reception at 7 p.m. in the museum.

The Barney exhibition is funded with support from the Richard P. Herzfeld Endowment Fund, the Martha and Ray Smith, Jr. Endowment Fund, Marquette University Women’s Council Endowment Fund, Friends of the Haggerty Museum of Art and the Wisconsin Arts Board.