Bill Barrett Untitled Modern Brutalist Welded Steel Sculpture 1970s

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A modern brutalist welded steel sculpture by Bill Barret. Circa 1970s. Barrett began welding while a student at the University … Read more A modern brutalist welded steel sculpture by Bill Barret. Circa 1970s. Barrett began welding while a student at the University of Michigan. His early works consisted of steel rods, and he joined 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. Provenance: Alice Simsar Gallery, Ann Arbor. Dimensions: 79”h x 35”w x 22”d. In good vintage condition with rusting that is consistent with age. The sculpture was displayed outdoors.

Bill Barrett (1934- ) 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. He has been exhibiting his work since the mid-1960s and has been included in many museum exhibitions and international art expositions—the Whitney Sculpture Annual in 1970, Art Basel in 1989, the Tokyo Expo in 1990, and the Armory Show in New York in 1996, to name only a few. Barrett attended the University of Michigan from 1954 to 1960 and earned his BS and MS in Design and his MFA from the same institution. Barrett’s work is part of the permanent collections of many prominent institutions and his large-scale works are found in notable sculpture parks across the United States. See less