Alvaro Barrington, They Got Time: YOU BELONG TO THE CITY Maxwell Rabb reviews the artist's interdisciplinary approach

By Maxwell Rabb

Born in Venezuela and raised between the Caribbean and Brooklyn, Alvaro Barrington has developed a practice that spans various media, from paintings adorned with unconventional materials such as burlap, to immersive installations. His most recent exhibition at Thaddaeus Ropac, “La Vie en Rose” (2022), drew inspiration from Tupac Shakur and the music of 1990s Brooklyn. His work, such as his “rose that grew from concrete” series, which is named after a book by Shakur, emerges from his reflections on the music and the era. He tries, he has said in interviews, to visualize the memory and music that raised him: “I thought about imagining music as a painting.”

Now, for his fifth exhibition with Ropac, “They Got Time: You Belong to the City,” Barrington pays homage to the expansive influences in his life in an installation capturing the essence of a luxurious New York, from the dreamy beginnings of Breakfast at Tiffany’s to the unforgettable images of Notorious B.I.G. photographed against the backdrop of the World Trade Center. Barrington’s interdisciplinary approach incorporates common objects into his work, including carpets, steel drums, brooms, and fans, creating an accessible entry point for others to understand the childhood wonder he associates with New York City.