John Barandon
Born 1948, Atlanta, GA
John Barandon is a self-taught artist who became a full-time sculptor in 2014, after fifty years of working in sheet metal and steel fabrication. He exhibited in Atlanta at The Signature Shop from 1986 to 1992, at Sidewalk Studio in Virginia Highlands, and Odyssey Studio in Buckhead, from 1986 to 1987. He also exhibited in Atlanta at Shirley Fox Gallery and Gallery South, both now closed. He explains that while he never excelled at school, when he began working with metal, machines, and using physical strength, he understood that he could be the best at something. Creating art allows him to honor the achievements of artists he admires and serves as an antidote for the people and things he has lost. This is one reason his creations feel old, as if delivered from antiquity. He adds that he loves making vase forms because containers have been a staple of human production throughout time and by looking at them we can understand much about the particular time and civilization in which they were created.
An inordinate amount of time goes into making Barandon’s one-of-a-kind sculptures. The process begins by building a steel armature which is then filled in with more metal, often using two-inch steel nails. The final steps include coating the metal with bronze and adding a patina that will become richer as it ages.
EXHIBITIONS
2022 Salon Style, TEW Galleries, Atlanta, GA
2021 TEW Galleries, Salon Style, Atlanta, GA
2019 TEW Galleries, Salon Style, Atlanta, GA
2018 TEW Galleries, Salon Style, Atlanta, GA
Line & Form: John Barandon & Melissa Mason, TEW Galleries, Atlanta, GA
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