Welcome to the Noël Barker Naïve Art Gallery

Naïve Art may be considered the last refuge of the untrained artist but it certainly provides a vivid, colourful depiction of life.  From cave paintings to the present day, naïve art has traversed the millennia. As noted in the World Encyclopedia of Naïve Art; (Bihalji-Merin and Tomasevic), so-called “primitive people,” living in the Stone Age, looked to their immediate surroundings for inspiration, depicting animals whom they feared and those whom they herded; the female figure as a fertility symbol; and man in his manifold role of huntsman, herdsman and tiller of the soil. Jacques Ardies, the noted Brazilian naïve art author and gallery owner, observes in his book, Naïve Art in Brazil, that naïve art is :-

"Diversified in [stylistic approaches];...full of originality and creativity, and seeking at the same time to capture nature and the great cities, figures and landscapes, the faiths and popular traditions...,... naïve painters outlive the erudition of contemporary art through their candor and spontaneity. They are painters who do not want or seek to change the world by their authentic art, but merely, as part of it, to pretend that the magic of Art may help man to turn to the simpler things of life."

But enough of that. I paint in a naïve style because I love it. I have captured my travels, local scenes, family and friends in vivid colour and  a lively form that epitomizes my  own sense of fun and mischievousness. Even at my age those are qualities that have never dimmed with the years and it is perhaps that child-like view of the world that provides that sparkle we all need in life.

Please explore my website. I have displayed a wide range of work including some "grown-up" examples and I can provide both originals or prints of most of the paintings on display. Do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested in any of my paintings and I welcome any commissions.