ROSEBURG, Ore., Mar. 24, 2023 – “Billions and Billions” by Portland artist Jonathan Barcan will be displayed on April 3, in The Art Gallery at Umpqua Community College.

Barcan is a mixed media artist and printmaker featured worldwide. A lecture by modern philosopher Alan Watts, served as Barcans inspiration when creating "Billions and Billions.” Barcan says the core meaning of Billions and Billions is an evaluation of the collective human consciousness and its relationship with physical reality and the universe. Each monoprint merges figurative and abstract elements to symbolize the collective dementia of humanity as it progresses through time; without being conscious of the past or, as Barcan calls it, “existing without memory.”

Combining various printmaking techniques, Barcan overlays etchings of anatomical medical images, illustrations, and sentences. The final image is a singular “quilted quality” image expressing a sense of synergy.

“I find that arranging larger compositions from a collection of smaller pieces allows for a creative improvisation,” Barcan says, “which helps to push even further how the idea of ‘drawing’ can be incorporated into today’s printmaking practice.”

“Billions and Billions” will be on display from April 3 through May 3, 2023. Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is free.
 

More About the Artist

Jonathan Barcan is a Portland based mixed media artist and printmaker that exhibits nationally and internationally. Noteworthy exhibitions include the Florence Biennial, Florence, Italy, and the Today Museum Printmaking Center, Beijing, China, and residencies at the Central Academy of Fine Art, Beijing, and Druckwerk Print Studios in Basel, Switzerland. Barcan is active in the local arts community as a participant, educator, curator, and volunteer.

About The Art Gallery 

The UCC Art Gallery is located in the Whipple Fine Arts Building at Umpqua Community College, 1140 Umpqua College Road, Roseburg, OR, 97470. The Art Gallery is a 100 square-foot exhibition space that features six exhibitions per year, showcasing a variety of media from emerging to established artists. The primary focus of the Art Gallery is to exhibit high-quality artwork for the education and cultural benefit of the students of UCC and the residents of Douglas County.