Izzy Barber’s exhibition, “Maspeth Moon,” at James Fuentes brings together new plein air paintings that capture daily life in New York. Petite in size (the smallest 4” x 4” and others around 10” x 9”) Barber’s paintings are snapshots of quiet scenes that are at once private and familiar. From Little Italy to Midtown to Maspeth in Brooklyn, Barber paints the shared spaces and collective experiences that connect New Yorkers on a personal level.

Juniper Valley, 2021

Some paintings are identified by location, while others are left unnamed, but feel no less familiar. Barber often paints places and feelings she has encountered on a walk. “It can be a group of people, a structure, or a combination of colors that makes me stop and look again,” she explained in an email exchange after I inquired with the gallery staff. “Half the time I make a small sketch before I return another day with a canvas. Other times it’s a certain city block or neighborhood that I know has a feeling that I want to paint.”

Ridgewood Roof, 2020

One such feeling is captured in Ridgewood Roof (2020), in which the roof became both the studio and the subject. Painted in rich brown hues, neighboring roofs with glowing windows and a distant, sparkling city skyline unfold before the viewer. With so little outdoor space, rooftops have become a huge part of New Yorkers’ lives, especially over the last year. Far from luxurious, the city’s roofs are typically unfinished and dirty. A true representation of the resiliency of New Yorkers, rooftops became symbolic of how any outdoor space can be turned into something useful and possibly even beautiful.

Barber’s use of color captures the changing light as the days and seasons evolve. In Mott Street Market (2020), vibrant blue umbrellas and quaint food stands recall the Amalfi Coast or the Island of Capri. This same rich, mesmerizing blue is seen throughout the exhibition. The artist spends at least a day in her studio mixing paint to prepare for her outdoor excursions.

Weekend Gamblers, 2020

Barber’s paintings are truly done en plein air, often in periods of a few hours. “There is no rule, but the majority of the works in this show were done in one session. They are all painted on location. I bring the paintings back to my studio to look at them and if they don’t feel right I return to the same spot and keep working. If [the subject] is a fleeting moment, it’s going to be a quick painting. In the winter, I’ll stop when my hands or feet get numb; I can lose track of time easily when painting.”

It’s hard not to imagine the artist sitting in the snow painting the colorful blurs of sledders in Juniper Valley (2021) or swiftly working to capture the movement of the figures playing games in Weekend Gamblers (2020). Barber transports the viewer to these special moments, leaving a renewed sense of curiosity for the places and feelings emblematic of New York.

Izzy Barber: “Maspeth Moon”

James Fuentes, New York

April 8–May 9, 2021

All images courtesy of James Fuentes.