Skip to main content

Bill Barrett Art

American, b. 1935

Bill Barrett was born on December 21, 1934. He is an American sculptor, painter and jeweler. He is considered a central figure in the second generation of American metal sculptors and is internationally known for his abstract sculptures in steel, aluminum and bronze. Barrett began welding while a student at the University of Michigan. His early works consisted of steel rods, joined together to create open, three-dimensional drawings. For subsequent sculptures, he filled in the negative space between the rods with molten metal and steel plates. From here, Barrett developed a technique of cutting steel sheets into rectangular shapes and forming the shapes into three-dimensional blocks or cylindrical forms. He also explored the surface of steel, grinding or brushing the surface to give his finished work texture. Barrett later painted his steel sculptures to prevent the final pieces from rusting. Barrett’s work with aluminum began in the 1960s. These sculptures were composed of flat, horizontal shapes and their surfaces were bright and clean. Barrett was commissioned by the City of New York through Percent for Art to create his largest sculpture to date, Hari IV, for New Dorp High School on Staten Island. Keeping contemporary culture in mind, Barrett’s title for this work comes from a graffiti tag that was appearing on New York subway cars at the time. The work was well received by the students, earning the nickname the elephant. It became the high school’s symbol, being used on the yearbook cover and adorning the football team’s helmets. The New York Times critic Michael Brenson called this sculpture, “one of the most successful public sculptures in the city." In 1986, Barrett was commissioned by the state of Connecticut for the Criminal Courts Building in Hartford to create Guardian, a fabricated aluminum sculpture that stands 15 feet tall. Barrett began painting in 1992. His vibrant paintings quickly became an important part of his entire creative process—they complemented and influenced the free-flowing feel of his sculptures. Drawing—rhythmic contours and marks—maintained a central role in the creation of his paintings and sculptures. Since 1992, Barrett has had several solo exhibitions, featuring both painting and sculpture. Bill Barrett, Melinda at the Beach in 2002, is a famous work of his in fabricated bronze. Barrett started working with bronze as a way to explore increasingly fluid and gestural forms. As his interest in expressive forms grew, Barrett found that wax gave him the creative freedom to model shapes. He created a technique of pouring wax into a baking tin, drawing the shapes in the wax, and then combining the shapes to create a model, twisting and carving away at each shape by hand. The most successful models were cast into bronze and the bronze maquettes were then fabricated into larger bronze sculptures. From the 90s on, Barrett’s bronze works took on a free-flowing quality that suggested calligraphy, movement, dance and music. Several sculptures from this decade refer directly to dance. In May 2011, Barrett installed a bronze sculpture in New York City's Tribeca neighborhood, for temporary display, as a memorial to September 11, 2001. Also, Barrett's small sculpture Lexeme VII is part of the 911 Memorial and Museum's permanent collection in New York City. In 2010 Barrett exhibited paintings and sculptures in two separate shows, “Polyphonic Abstractions: Painting and Maquettes by Bill Barrett” at the Christian Petersen Art Museum at Iowa State University and “Synchronicity” at Kouros Gallery in New York City.

to
2
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
3
3
3
3
4
11,205
2,855
2,494
1,437
3
Artist: Bill Barrett
Point Out
Point Out

Point Out

By Bill Barrett

Located in New York, NY

Barrett is a large scale and well known American sculptor. Point Out is a superb small scale maquette and it a great piece on many levels. These works have movement, delicacy and s...

Category

2010s Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Bronze

Sojourner Series #16
Sojourner Series #16

Sojourner Series #16

By Bill Barrett

Located in New York, NY

A great small maquette that has a naturalistic form mirroring nature. Works like these by Bill Barrett have long been loved to grace bookshelves, consoles, coffee tables and mantles...

Category

2010s Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Bronze

Lyra Series 10, indoor sculpture
Lyra Series 10, indoor sculpture

Lyra Series 10, indoor sculpture

By Bill Barrett

Located in New York, NY

Barrett is one of America's outstanding living sculptors. A sculptor who works on large scale and major commission and outdoor works, his smaller indoor maquettes have been avidly c...

Category

2010s Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Bronze

Related Items
Ugo La Pietra Black Bronze Abstract Ad Arte
Ugo La Pietra Black Bronze Abstract Ad Arte

Ugo La Pietra Black Bronze Abstract Ad Arte

By Ugo La Pietra 1

Located in Brescia, IT

This artwork is a multiples limited not numbered specimens created by the Italian artist Ugo La Pietra, a well known Internationally artist. Ugo La Pietra was born in Bussi Sul Tiri...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Geometric Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Bronze

Spray
Spray

Spray

By Harry Bertoia

Located in Miami, FL

TECHNICAL INFORMATION Harry Bertoia Spray 1979 (year completed) Steel wire, bronze 37 h x 13 dia in. Sold with a certificate of authenticity from the Harry Bertoia Foundation and a...

Category

1970s Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Bronze, Steel

"Striper", Bronze Wall Relief Sculpture, Abstract, Metal, Contemporary
"Striper", Bronze Wall Relief Sculpture, Abstract, Metal, Contemporary

"Striper", Bronze Wall Relief Sculpture, Abstract, Metal, Contemporary

By Kevin Barrett

Located in New York, NY

"Striper" by Kevin Barrett Sculptural wall piece in bronze metal Barrett is noted for creating contemporary metal sculpture and sculpture wall pieces for indoor and outdoor display....

Category

2010s Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Metal, Bronze

Early Murano Glass Free Form Abstract Blown, Cut, Glass Sculpture in Bronze Vase
Early Murano Glass Free Form Abstract Blown, Cut, Glass Sculpture in Bronze Vase

Early Murano Glass Free Form Abstract Blown, Cut, Glass Sculpture in Bronze Vase

Located in Surfside, FL

This piece appears unsigned and unmarked. It came from an important estate in the Palm Beach area. It is an abstract flame or torch in a bronze vase. Venetian glass (Italian: vetro ...

Category

1940s Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Bronze

Sauterelle
Sauterelle

Jeanne Konsick-Kloss Sauterelle, 1952-1953

$8,758

H 17.72 in W 26.38 in D 16.93 in

Sauterelle

Located in PARIS, FR

his refined bronze sculpture by Jeanne Konick-Kloss showcases a harmonious dialogue between geometry and movement. Composed of interlocking curves and angular forms, the piece balanc...

Category

1950s Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Bronze

"Experience №1 v.2" Bronze Sculpture 18 x 6 x 6 in Edition 1/5 by Sergii Shaulis
"Experience №1 v.2" Bronze Sculpture 18 x 6 x 6 in Edition 1/5 by Sergii Shaulis

"Experience №1 v.2" Bronze Sculpture 18 x 6 x 6 in Edition 1/5 by Sergii Shaulis

By Sergii Shaulis

Located in Culver City, CA

"Experience №1 v.2" Bronze Sculpture 18 x 6 x 6 in Edition 1/5 by Sergii Shaulis 2019 From the EXPERIENCE series Bronze Approximate weight 15lbs ABOUT ARTIST Born on 27 May 1985 ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Bronze

Brutalist Bronze Abstract Modernist Sculpture
Brutalist Bronze Abstract Modernist Sculpture

Brutalist Bronze Abstract Modernist Sculpture

Located in Surfside, FL

In the manner of Julio Gonzalez, mixed metal sculpture. Neo-Dada Abstract Sculpture: Assemblages Abstract sculpture followed a slightly different course. Rather than focusing on no...

Category

20th Century Abstract Expressionist Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Bronze, Copper

"Golden Oracle" Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture, Large-Scale, Outdoors
"Golden Oracle" Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture, Large-Scale, Outdoors

"Golden Oracle" Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture, Large-Scale, Outdoors

By Hans Van de Bovenkamp

Located in New York, NY

"Golden Oracle" by Hans Van de Bovenkamp Large-scale, abstract outdoor sculpture in bronze Renowned for his monumental sculpture created primarily for open-air public locales, Hans ...

Category

2010s Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Metal, Bronze

Abstract Bronze Sculpture, Unique Signed work from the estate of Arthur Carr
Abstract Bronze Sculpture, Unique Signed work from the estate of Arthur Carr

Abstract Bronze Sculpture, Unique Signed work from the estate of Arthur Carr

By Peter Reginato

Located in New York, NY

Peter Reginato Abstract Bronze Sculpture, ca. 1987 Bronze Signed on the underside 4 × 6 1/2 × 5 1/2 inches This bronze sculpture is by the American abstract sculptor Peter Reginato. ...

Category

1980s Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Bronze

Famed sculptor Nancy Graves unique signed patinated bronze sculpture NY Award
Famed sculptor Nancy Graves unique signed patinated bronze sculpture NY Award

Famed sculptor Nancy Graves unique signed patinated bronze sculpture NY Award

By Nancy Graves

Located in New York, NY

Nancy Graves New York State Governor's Arts Award, 1988 Bronze, polychrome patina and baked enamel on base with Award plaque 10 1/4 × 7 × 10 1/4 inches Hand signed and dated with inc...

Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Bronze, Enamel

Dimitri Hadzi - Uxmal unique bronze sculpture famed sculptor & Harvard professor
Dimitri Hadzi - Uxmal unique bronze sculpture famed sculptor & Harvard professor

Dimitri Hadzi - Uxmal unique bronze sculpture famed sculptor & Harvard professor

Located in New York, NY

Dimitri Hadzi Uxmal, 1991 Cast bronze on custom made granite base 17 × 30 1/2 × 14 inches The title UXMAL, refers to the ancient Mayan city of Uxmal, which is known for its "Pyramid of the Magician" Provenance: Acquired by the original owner from the prestigious Gremillion Gallery in Houston, Texas (accompanied by a copy of the original receipt) Measurements: Base: 26.5 by 11 by 1.75 inches Work longest 30.5 inches Widest 14 inches Highest. 17 inches More about Dimitri Hadzi" Derived from the figure and mythic narratives, Hadzi’s sculpture references antiquity and classical artifacts – abstracted anatomical forms, columnar and other architectural elements, helmets, weaponry and body armor function as visual metaphors for ancient cultures. “I was interested in mythology, and I was interested in movement,” Hadzi remarked on his years in Rome, “I was attempting through formal methods to exaggerate sexual tension or apprehension. Suddenly I was myself in an atmosphere of freedom.” [1] Powerfully rendered in bronze his sculptures convey raw emotion, brute strength and mass, tempered with a delicate rush of whimsy, vivacity and sensuality. Born in New York City on March 21, 1921, Hadzi graduated from Cooper Union in 1950 and received a Fulbright Fellowship in the same year. After studying sculpture in Greece, he moved to Rome under the GI Bill where he lived for twenty-five years. Hadzi returned to the U.S. where he taught at Harvard University for fourteen years. He continued to create sculpture until his death in 2006. Hadzi is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art; the Whitney Museum of American Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; The Phillips Collection and the Guggenheim Museum. Receiving over twenty sculpture commissions, Hadzi’s work appears in public squares, concert halls, federal and private plazas, and universities throughout the world. --------------- [1] Elsen, Albert. “On Artistic Freedom: An Interview,” Dimitri Hadzi, (New York: Hudson Hills Press, 1996), 30. Additional Biography: Dimitri Hadzi (1921 – 2006) is among the most distinguished modernist sculptors, creator of works in bronze and stone that are powerfully abstract and expressionist in character. His contribution to the international language of sculpture continues to influence and inspire through permanent installations and collections, and exhibitions worldwide. Born to Greek-American immigrant parents in New York City, he had a talent for drawing at an early age and won a prize for his young ability. But, it wasn't until after serving in the Air-force in the South Pacific during WWII that he turned his sights fully to painting and sculpture, going on to study both at Cooper Union. Eventually, he would become a mainstay of the Cambridge, MA art community. He was a Guggenheim Fellow (1957), the winner of the Venice Biennale Award (1962), and the Rome Prize (1974). His most notable sculptures are: Copley Place Waterfall (Boston, MA), Owen Glass Co. (Toledo, OH), as well as Thermopolis, adjacent to Boston’s City Hall Plaza, and the former Omphalos in Harvard Square (Cambridge, MA). Hadzi is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art; National Gallery of Art; Whitney Museum of American Art; Museum of Fine Art, Boston; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; The Phillips Collection and the Guggenheim Museum. Additionally, Hadzi was also a prolific painter, and printmaker. He also taught at Harvard University for over a decade. Famously, David Hockney attended one of Hadzi’s classes at the Carpenter Center at Harvard, where Hadzi served as director. The two of them spent time together painting and discussing techniques. Hockney gifted Hadzi one of his paintings. He worked alongside his good friend, Nobel Prize winning Irish poet...

Category

1990s Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Granite, Bronze

Kyoji Nagatani, Fossile contemporaneo, bronzo, 12 x 17 x 12 cm - 2025
Kyoji Nagatani, Fossile contemporaneo, bronzo, 12 x 17 x 12 cm - 2025

Kyoji Nagatani, Fossile contemporaneo, bronzo, 12 x 17 x 12 cm - 2025

By Kyoji Nagatani

Located in Milano, MI

"Contemporary Fossil," a striking bronze sculpture by the acclaimed Japanese artist Kyoji Nagatani. Born in Tokyo in 1950 and a graduate of the prestigious Zoukei Arts University, Na...

Category

2010s Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Bronze

Previously Available Items
"Lyra Series 24", Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture by Bill Barrett

"Lyra Series 24", Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture by Bill Barrett

By Bill Barrett

Located in New York, NY

"Lyra Series 24" by Bill Barrett Cast bronze Bill Barrett is considered a central figure in the second generation of American metal sculptors and is internationally known for his ab...

Category

2010s Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Metal, Bronze

"Monarch", Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture by Bill Barrett

"Monarch", Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture by Bill Barrett

By Bill Barrett

Located in New York, NY

"Monarch" by Bill Barrett Fabricated bronze on a stainless steel base Bill Barrett is considered a central figure in the second generation of American metal sculptors and is interna...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Metal, Bronze, Steel, Stainless Steel

"Action Abstraction", Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture by Bill Barrett

"Action Abstraction", Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture by Bill Barrett

By Bill Barrett

Located in New York, NY

"Action Abstraction" by Bill Barrett Fabricated bronze Bill Barrett is considered a central figure in the second generation of American metal sculptors and is internationally known ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Metal, Bronze

"Magic III", Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture by Bill Barrett

"Magic III", Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture by Bill Barrett

By Bill Barrett

Located in New York, NY

"Magic III" by Bill Barrett Fabricated bronze on a stainless steel base Bill Barrett is considered a central figure in the second generation of American metal sculptors and is inter...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Bill Barrett Art

Materials

Metal, Bronze, Steel, Stainless Steel

Bill Barrett art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Bill Barrett art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Bill Barrett in metal, bronze, steel and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Bill Barrett art, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Joel Perlman, George Sugarman, and Eric Johnson. Bill Barrett art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $15,000 and tops out at $350,000, while the average work can sell for $200,000.

Artists Similar to Bill Barrett