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"I would not be surprised to find John Barnwell's pictures on the walls of the Whitney Museum of American Art or the American galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art."
- Dr. Daniel Siedell, Senior Fellow, Modern Art History, Theory, & Criticism, The King's College, New York City
Far Country is a diverse and thorough sampling of the romantic realism of artist John L. Barnwell, whose work spans a prolific half century of painting in a wide variety of styles, subjects, and themes.
John L. Barnwell was born in 1922 in Los Angeles, California. He grew up during the Great Depression in Oceanside, CA. In the early 1950's, he moved to New York City and started to paint. He was inspired by his surroundings, mid-century Manhattan, and painted a body of work of just cityscapes and industry using primarily palette knives, one of his signature styles. He later found his voice with surrealist and fantasy paintings, experimenting over the years with a variety of styles and techniques. Over five decades, Barnwell's work ranged from surrealism to traditional landscapes, and from fantasy to simple still lifes. But throughout all his artistic inquiry, Barnwell's work remained suffused with a strong visionary theme. A desire to see the world with a subtle sense of mystery and transcendence.
Far Country is filled with one hundred thirteen of Barnwell's paintings, most of which have never been published before. It is a visual feast, and represents a lifetime of artistic labor, passion, and dedication.
