Lets get to know our Members - Temme Barkin-Leeds

Temme Barkin-Leeds

Sparked by events like the Darfur genocide and atrocities, Temme Barkin-Leeds uses her art to give social comment on video games where violence are the key ingredient. She believes that if you make art you should change social and cultural believes. With a degree in Art History and Studio Art she has a strong foundation to create art that speaks to the viewer on an emotional level. 

Her latest series deals with the dominance of violence in video games, specifically the first-person shooter genre. She uses image clips from games like “Medal of Honor 2010” and “Call of Duty” as a canvas on which she throws and scrapes paint, sand and blood. She includes images from real war situations, usually injured people, to bring the consequences of violence to the foreground. 

In “Farther Than The Russians Did” she contradicts war veterans in wheel chairs with soldiers holding guns. The act where blood flows is left out but the ramifications are strongly suggested.

Temme Barkin-Leeds has been shown in art exhibitions nationwide and received several awards. She represented the state of Georgia as a member on the Millennium “Gift of the Nation” committee of the Friends of Art and Preservation in Embassies in 1999. 

To see more art and read more about her philosophy please visit her website. 

Until next time,

Corlia

Temme Barkin-Leeds at Georgia Perimeter College

Temme Barkin-Leeds' solo exhibition, Deconstruction/Reconstruction, is currently on exhibit at the Learning Resource Center Galleries, Georgia Perimeter College - Dunwoody Campus.

Temme Barkin-Leeds / Deconstruction/Reconstruction: Afghanistan III / 2009 / oil on canvas / 60 x 48"

Artist Statement:

"In our increasingly globalized, chaotic, digital, teeming worlds, I am interested in the idea that universally, cultures overtake and alter the civilizations that precede them. This change can be the result of time, evolution, war, economic and social upheaval, or genocide and it is not always a sign of progress. I want to emphasize this historical process through my artistic process of deconstruction and reconstruction. Using fractured and distorted images of cultural artifacts and of people and their accoutrements, I cut and reorder the elements into a new reality. When I recombine and randomly crop images, I allow for unanticipated new images and compositions.

My current imagery is related to cultures in Greece, Afghanistan, Darfur, and even the United States where civilians are affected by the loss of a way of life they have previously known."

Temme Barkin-Leeds / Deconstruction/Reconstruction: Living in Tents / 2009 /mixed media on paper / 30 x 22"

Temme Barkin-Leeds / Deconstruction/Reconstruction: Living in Cars / 2009 / oil on canvas / 60 x 48"

Installation shot of Deconstruction/Reconstruction exhibition at Learning Resource Center Galleries, Georgia Perimeter College - Dunwoody Campus

Installation shot of Deconstruction/Reconstruction exhibition at Learning Resource Center Galleries, Georgia Perimeter College - Dunwoody Campus

Temme Barkin-Leeds / UN (Darfur) / 2009 / oil on canvas / 36 x 36" (This work is being auctioned for Genocide Intervention Network)

The exhibition runs from May 4 - June 1, 2009 and is located at 2101 Womack Road, Dunwoody, GA 30338-4497. The gallery is open Monday - Thursday, 8:00 am - 10:00 pm; Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm; Saturday, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm; and Sunday: 2:00-4:00 pm. For more information, call (678) 891-3556.

Visit Temme Barkin-Leeds' website to see more of her work.