ABOUT THE WORK

To limit the works of contemporary visual artist and sculptor Gabby Barredo would be an insurmountable task. His works, mostly consisting of found objects, recycled materials, and makeshift parts, seemingly refuses any sort of classification. While most would put him under the classification of contemporary art, one can easily see how such a terminology would undoubtedly shake a few heads. Barredo was in a league of his own, refusing to let technique and style limit what he can and will do. His works are more than art; they are spectacles, condensed into their purest experiential form. Sometimes, this would mean large pieces and exhibits the size of a city block, like his 1999 exhibit that called for the closure of UN Avenue. But sometimes, Barredo would condense his temperament for spectacle in little lifeworlds which he’d adorn his famous otherworldly yet enchanting sculptures. Throughout his lifetime, Barredo had seemingly utilized all manners of objects in the creation of his art. Rods of electric fan covers, broken particles of car windshields, wood, paper, wrought-iron, antique radios, coconut husks, bottle caps, bed springs, fire-hose coils, conveyor belts, wooden beads, computer and refrigerator parts, and cement grinders serve as elements of the sculptural form of his works. To step into his world is to realize the divine and transcendental nature of everyday life.