BARRY LEADER Whimsical SIGNED Folk Art OOAK Wall Sculpture Crazy Hair

  

Artist: BARRY LEADER (American, 20th-21st centuries). Medium: One-of-a-kind assemblage wall sculpture, blending traditional wood carving with contemporary mixed-media techniques. Signature: Signed by the Artist in black marker, verso. Size: 17 1/2 inches x 12 inches x 1 inch.

Barry Leader is a distinctive artist and wood carver known for his imaginative folk art creations, operating under the names Raintree Carvings and Raintree Design Studio. His work is characterized by a playful and inventive approach, often focusing on faces and incorporating repurposed materials. Barry Leader is particularly fascinated with faces, which serve as a central theme in his work. He crafts each facial feature using a large 8-foot band saw, working with remarkable proximity and dexterity to shape the wood. After assembling the carved features into expressive heads, he paints them with multiple coats, starting with a black basecoat. The heads are then adorned with an eclectic mix of found objects-beads, buttons, glass, jewelry, beer cans, mirror pieces, and more-sourced from flea markets and antique sales. Leader's work stands out for its whimsical, folk-art sensibility and its inventive use of color and texture. Each piece is a one-of-a-kind assemblage, blending traditional wood carving with contemporary mixed-media techniques.