Barry Atwater (painter)

Barry Atwater (1892, Minnesota — January 15, 1956, Santa Fe, New Mexico) was an American artist primarily known for painting landscapes of the southwestern United States. He was the father of actor Barry Atwater.

Life

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Atwater grew up in Denver, Colorado, and settled in Los Angeles where he worked as an interior decorator.[1] As a hobby he began painting desert landscapes, eventually moving with his wife to a small cabin built for him by advertising executive Ray Morgan on a 2,000-acre (8.1 km2) ranch in Dos Palmas, [California]. Morgan built the retreat for Atwater so he could live among the scenery he painted.[2] In the 1940s Atwater relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico.[3]

Atwater's paintings are noted for their highly contrasted areas of flat color, suggesting the stark beauty of America's southwestern terrain.

References

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  1. ^ Hughes, Eden (2002). Artists in California, 1786-1940. Crocker Art Museum.
  2. ^ Henderson, Randall. "Waterhole on the Old Bradshaw Trail", Desert Magazine, January, 1947.
  3. ^ Anson B. Cutts, "1-Man Show Features Artist From Santa Fe", The Arizona Republic (January 31, 1954), sec. 5, p. 4.
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