Benches – Barry™

Watercolor on stretched paper, 3’H x 4’W

Benches captures a corner of Golden Gate Park where geometry, repetition, and stillness coexist. Here, countless green benches fan out like planted crops—rows upon rows of seats, largely empty, forming their own kind of field across the dusty ground.

At the far end of the scene, a small group of people gathers near the fountain, dwarfed by the symmetrical sprawl of wood and shade. Towering trees edge the space, their limbs and trunks echoed in the twisting arms of the benches below. In the distance, a statue stands watch—possibly a historical figure, though Barry chose not to render its identity clearly. That’s not what the painting is about.

This piece is about form, rhythm, and potential. A place designed for people, yet largely unoccupied. A structured space in a wild park. It’s meditative not just in subject but in composition, letting the repetition pull the viewer inward like a mantra.

As with all paintings in this series, Benches began with a single run, a pencil, and a moment of pause. Its color and quiet came later—summoned not from a reference photo, but from memory and reflection.

This piece is available as a fine art giclée print upon request.