Ivan Barnett

Purity in Abstract Expressionism

“I’m finding I want to get to the pure essence of what I do. It’s about getting to a place that is most direct, most simple.”

Ivan Barnett is the director of Patina Gallery, yet first and foremost an artist, having enjoyed a successful career for over 40 years. Since 1976, Barnett has created garden sculptures and weather vanes, primarily in oxidized steel. The works were inspired by the German Folk Art he observed from his studio in Lancaster County, PA.

With special attention to shape, color and proportion, his signature pieces blend the folk tradition of native Pennsylvania with strong, contemporary design. His work achieved a high profile in the early eighties with recognition in Architectural Digest, Better Homes and Gardens and Country Living. Barnett is recognized as a leader in the country’s Contemporary Folk Art Moment and is one of the first modern American craft artists to revive and interpret traditional American folk forms.