Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1963, Alex Barrett has been actively working in metal sculpture since the age of 14. Acting as apprentice to his father, sculptor Bill Barrett, in New York, Alex developed the ability to bring an idea to life and gained an intimate knowledge of fabrication. Alex works in the abstract, beginning with a concept. The concept may be inspired by any number of things; the shape of a hand, a person, an emotional state, or an object. From that concept comes a drawing and from the drawing, a sculpture.
Many of his sculptures become monumental pieces, but all begin with a small maquette. The maquettes are fabricated from sheet bronze, and most are single edition artist proofs. Unlike most bronze artists, Alex' work is typically not cast, but is created; cut, joined, inflated, and welded by his own hands in his studio. This makes his sculpture truly special in that all elements are completely controlled by him, from the initial concept to the application of patina. But this is just the beginning.
His monumentals are created in the same fashion. In the process of creating a maquette, Alex establishes techniques to execute the piece in a larger scale. His large pieces are built with aluminum and powder-coated to withstand outdoor conditions. All fabrication is done by Alex himself. Some surfaces are fabricated by welding or manipulating the metal with heat application. Other portions are inflated to resemble mylar. All are created with strong construction and smooth edges to encourage interaction with the work. Alex often climbs onto the finished pieces to be certain they are safe for installation.
From the beginning, Alex has received acclaim; with and independent of his father. Alex' work has been published in the New York Times, THE Magazine, and newspapers throughout the country. His work is on public display at the University of Chattanooga, and at various locations in Santa Fe, New Mexico where it has received high media attention for introducing contemporary art into a traditionally Western scene. His massive 20'x5' wall sculpture, Alchemy, available at Nussbaumer Fine Art, was selected for inclusion in the SITE Santa Fe New Year's installation to ring in 2007. He has exhibited in Switzerland, Chicago, New York, Santa Fe, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, California, and Tennessee to date.
Alex currently lives in Santa Fe, NM.
