Michael Barringer’s work explores the profound connections between human experience and a larger existence. His paintings channel sensations, emotions, and ideas into a unique visual language, inviting viewers to step into spaces of resonance and expanded understanding. Influenced by sources as varied as Gee’s Bend quilts, Hubble Telescope images, cave art, sacred sites, ancient rituals, jazz music, and poetry, Barringer begins each piece with touchstones that evoke a sense of transcendence. For him, every painting becomes a symbol, open-ended in meaning, rich in detail, and intentionally crafted to reward extended contemplation. Working with acrylic paint, modeling paste, charcoal, graphite, colored pencils, and pastels, Barringer builds complex, stratified surfaces that balance intention with the beauty of chance. Much like a quilter piecing together fabric, he layers pure color in ways that vibrate with visual energy and emotional depth. Contrasting these bold color fields are lyrical lines, delicate smudges, and organic shape such as circles and ovals. Subtle glazes of oil paint veil the surface, suggesting the patina of fresco walls or ancient parchments. Though grounded in rigorous formalism, Barringer’s practice is ultimately meditative and intuitive. Through repetition and mantra-like processes, his paintings emerge as objects of joy, warmth, and plentitude. He trusts that his work operates on its own terms, offering viewers not an explanation, but the pure act of seeing and experiencing.