The exploration of the sculptural qualities of the human body has been a recurring theme in Per Barclay's work. In recent years this theme has  resulted in a series of black and white photographs running parallel to his installations and Oil Room works, which on the contrary  are characterised by the total absence of human form.

The Galeria Oliva Arauna presents a series of life-size black and white photographs which reveal Barclay's long standing interest in the world of dance, theatre and performance art.

They fix the images of dancers, actors, sturdy tatooed men in still and plastic poses. What they share is a sort of archetypal quality, an essential beauty and a psychological tension that is achieved through contrasting conflicting elements, themes which are at the very core of the artist's aesthetic.

Per Barclay's work, since the mid '80s, has developed along three registers: installation, sculpture, photography. Recent solo exhibitions include The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Oslo (1998);Bergen Kunstforening, Bergen (2001); CCC-Centre de Création Contemporaine de Tours (2001); Koldo Mixelena Kulturunea, Donostia (2002).