Animal Art

Battle Worn is the first in Laurel Barbieri’s new series of artworks titled “Warriors Among Us,” a series dedicated to honoring America’s service men and women.

Battle Worn was inspired by two Special Forces Soldiers who visited a Laurel Barbieri exhibit in 2013. As a short visit became a two-hour conversation, Laurel began to realize that these were rare human beings: men who look like average people, but who are anything but average. They are the warriors among us. In her “Warriors Among Us” series, Laurel’s goal is to capture a sense of the emotions these men have experienced and still carry with them, as well as the respect and admiration she feels for them and their fellow service members.

“Our conversation that day was a turning point for me,” Laurel says. “As we go about our daily activities everybody looks the same, for the most part. But what you think you see is an illusion. There are those among us with an exceptional spirit, a brotherhood most of us will never know, never understand. These individuals are extraordinary and they have forged extraordinary ties with one another as a result of what they have trained for and carried out.”

Laurel has a special empathy for these warriors because her own family has been on the front lines—her oldest brother in Vietnam and a niece and nephew in Afghanistan. She knows firsthand that at any given time our veterans may remember an event that the rest of us simply cannot comprehend.

While Laurel hopes that Battle Worn and the rest of the paintings in the “Warriors Among Us” series will bring healing for America’s veterans, she also sees these paintings as celebrating their unique qualities. “They have trained not only for the past, but for the future,” she points out. “They were born to be warriors, and they are driven by a strength of spirit that mandates justice. This quality will stay with them whether they remain in the service or enter civilian life. Their strength of purpose will not back down or fade with age. It is the essence of who they are.”

When Laurel’s conversation with the two Special Forces soldiers ended that day, she felt proud to call herself an American. This pride is evident in Battle Worn. The strength of character that these veterans exude is perfectly conveyed by the rugged textures for which Laurel Barbieri’s work is known internationally. Her one-of-a-kind Relief Sculptures are heavily textured, filled with movement, and richly colored. The Relief Sculpture technique she originated and continues to perfect is uniquely suited to create art that is strong, textured with meaning, and filled with power, reflecting the qualities of the Warriors Among Us.