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Bill Barrett Sculptures

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.

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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 Sculptures

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 Sculptures

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 Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

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Bill Barrett sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Bill Barrett sculptures 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 sculptures, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Joel Perlman, David Hayes, and Eric Johnson. Bill Barrett sculptures 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.