{"id":91124,"date":"2025-03-09T08:08:25","date_gmt":"2025-03-09T15:08:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/?p=91124"},"modified":"2025-03-24T15:12:11","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T22:12:11","slug":"deral-barton-a-life-of-creativity-curiosity-and-craftsmanship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/deral-barton-a-life-of-creativity-curiosity-and-craftsmanship\/","title":{"rendered":"Deral Barton: A Life of Creativity, Curiosity and Craftsmanship"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_91132\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-91132\" class=\"wpa-warning wpa-image-missing-alt wp-image-91132\" src=\"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.15.59-AM-763x1024.png\" alt=\"An elderly man stands outdoors between two sculptures: a life-sized black female figure with textured clothing and a large cream-colored ceramic column with intricate patterns and red accents resembling dripping glaze. The artist smiles in front of a white garage door.\" width=\"650\" height=\"872\" data-warning=\"Missing alt text\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.15.59-AM-763x1024.png 763w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.15.59-AM-350x470.png 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.15.59-AM-768x1030.png 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.15.59-AM.png 878w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-91132\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Salt Lake City artist Deral Barton with two of his sculptures.<\/p><\/div>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">Deral Barton was a Salt Lake City-based artist, artisan and entrepreneur whose creative legacy is woven into Utah\u2019s cultural landscape. He passed away on February 7, 2025, at the age of 90.<\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">Born in Cedar City on October 16, 1934, Barton grew up in Salt Lake City, attending South High School before serving in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1952 to 1957. After his military service, he attended the University of Utah, where he studied drawing and painting with a minor in sculpture, earning several awards at student exhibitions. His artistic development there was guided by renowned Utah instructors such as Alvin Gittens, Douglas Snow, and Angelo Caravaglia.<\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">Barton earned his BFA in 1964 and went on to pursue an MFA while teaching ceramics at the University of Utah and painting and drawing at the Salt Lake Art Center from 1963 to 1966. In 1965, he was among the first artists to show in the newly opened Phillips Gallery, then located at the 9th and 9th neighborhood of Salt Lake City, and maintained a relationship with the gallery until his death.<\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">\u201cThere is much of the firm-edge pop art movement in Deral Barton\u2019s oils,&#8221; George Dibble wrote of his work in 1967, &#8220;\u2026 but he proposes strong personal statements that identify works of this resourceful painter.\u201d\u00a0 Barton&#8217;s artistic influences were as eclectic as his career path. &#8220;My interests and influences stem from many areas; the occult, the metaphysical, the supernatural, the exotic, and my dreams,&#8221; Barton once said. He described his creative process as instinctive and organic: &#8220;I begin each work with only a vague idea of what I want to achieve \u2014 I have no precise outline or plan.&#8221; This intuitive approach allowed his works to evolve naturally, ensuring his artistic instincts shaped the outcome.<\/h4>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-91124 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-medium'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/deral-barton-a-life-of-creativity-curiosity-and-craftsmanship\/screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10-15-20-am\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"529\" src=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.15.20-AM-350x529.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A painting featuring two horses, one white and one brown, running in front of a bold graphic background. The word &quot;STOP&quot; appears below a grid-like yellow structure and two circular symbols, blending realism with symbolic imagery.\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-91135\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.15.20-AM-350x529.png 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.15.20-AM-677x1024.png 677w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.15.20-AM-768x1162.png 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.15.20-AM.png 788w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-91135'>\n\t\t\t\t&#8220;4 Horsemen of Apocalypse,&#8221; 1966, acrylic on linen 48&#215;72 in. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/deral-barton-a-life-of-creativity-curiosity-and-craftsmanship\/screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10-14-25-am\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"444\" src=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.14.25-AM-350x444.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A black-and-white collage-style artwork depicting a chaotic gathering of figures, including nude women, winged creatures, and formally dressed men. A prominent red circular symbol with ancient script is embedded in the composition.\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-91131\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.14.25-AM-350x444.png 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.14.25-AM-808x1024.png 808w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.14.25-AM-768x973.png 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.14.25-AM.png 928w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-91131'>\n\t\t\t\t&#8220;The Cabalistic Seal of Agrippa,&#8221; intaglio print, 20 x 30 in.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h4 class=\"p4\"><\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">Barton worked in a variety of media, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, printmaking and ceramics. He also incorporated metals and plastics into his jewelry and sculpture. A 1968 work titled \u201cSocial Pressure Machine\u2014Developed Principally to Challenge Individual and Group Ideals of Whats What in Environments of Intense Pressure\u201d was described as \u201ca painted three-dimensional device that involves a gold-covered intaglio face mask surrounded by a black format. A red framing device contains twin sealed-beam lamps. A grill design is achieved with variously viewed perspectives.\u201d (George Dibble, Salt Lake Tribune, Jul 28, 1968)<\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">&#8220;My paintings usually go a lot slower than sculpture,&#8221; Barton explained on <a href=\"http:\/\/deralbarton.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">his website<\/a>, describing a patient process that allowed some canvases to change dramatically over time. Yet, he found that his most successful works &#8220;just flow and are done and finished without a great deal of effort.&#8221; He remained an active visual artist throughout his life, producing works that explored themes of mythology, mysticism, and the female form. His works often reflected his fascination with the &#8220;majestic as well as the serene,&#8221; blending classical aesthetics with the rebellious spirit of Pop Art, Dada, and psychedelia. His art is held in the permanent collections of institutions across Utah, Wyoming, and Oregon, as well as numerous private and corporate collections.<\/h4>\n<div id=\"attachment_91127\" style=\"width: 360px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-91127\" class=\"wpa-warning wpa-image-missing-alt wp-image-91127 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.18.33-AM-350x352.png\" alt=\"An abstract painting featuring distorted figures and animals emerging from dark, swirling forms. A pale human figure faces a horse-like creature while other ghostly shapes blend into the background, creating a mysterious and unsettling atmosphere.\" width=\"350\" height=\"352\" data-warning=\"Missing alt text\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.18.33-AM-350x352.png 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.18.33-AM-1019x1024.png 1019w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.18.33-AM-768x772.png 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.18.33-AM-120x120.png 120w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.18.33-AM.png 1166w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-91127\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deral Barton, &#8220;Creatures of the Id,&#8221; acrylic on cotton canvas, 40 x 80 in.<\/p><\/div>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">In addition to his fine art, Barton played a vital role in Salt Lake City&#8217;s counterculture scene, then centered in the 9th and 9th neighborhood. Alongside studiomates Fred Lyman and Ken Rodgers, he opened Skin Company Productions, Inc. in 1969, after department stores rejected the trio\u2019s unconventional leather designs. \u201cDepartment store buyers were too conservative,\u201d Barton told the Salt Lake Tribune at the time (Oct. 19, 1969, p. 73). \u201cThey didn\u2019t buy our way-out stuff and that\u2019s the stuff that sells best.\u201d<\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p4\">The group worked principally in cowhide but also in deer, elk, and their best sellers were leather pants they made for men and women. They expanded into sandals when Denis Phillips sold them his Good Sole Sandal Shop, and into the original Phillips Gallery space on the northwest corner of the 9th and 9th intersection when the gallery moved to its current location on 2nd South. Each artist created their own designs and sold their works out of the shop, which became a hub for the local hippie movement. On weekends they would open their doors for free concerts, and as Rodgers explained in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityweekly.net\/utah\/understudy-fringe-friends-drugs-leather-and-good-times-in-the-andrsquo70s-at-9th-and-9th\/Content?oid=2135072\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an article for City Weekly<\/a>, the general scene was a Salt Lake City-sized blend between Haight-Ashbury and Andy Warhol&#8217;s Factory.<\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p4\">The store\u2019s leather vests, jumpsuits, and fringe-laden garments drew a devoted following, with customers ranging from Utah Stars basketball players to Hollywood actors such as Robert Ulrich. His custom designs appeared in productions like <i>The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams<\/i> and <i>Touched by an Angel<\/i>. As trends shifted, Barton\u2019s work also appealed to Salt Lake City\u2019s biker and LGBTQ+ communities, who sought out his precision-crafted leather chaps and other specialty garments. In 1972, Barton expanded his business with <i>B&amp;B Observatory<\/i>, a custom leather goods and clothing retailer in Trolley Square Mall. Though his work was in demand, competition from imported leather goods and rising rents forced him to adapt.<\/h4>\n<div id=\"attachment_91126\" style=\"width: 360px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-91126\" class=\"wpa-warning wpa-image-missing-alt wp-image-91126 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.18.55-AM-350x286.png\" alt=\"A painting of a desert landscape featuring rolling sandy hills under a moody sky with shades of orange, yellow, and blue. Dark green plants with red-tipped stalks are scattered in the foreground, casting long shadows across the textured terrain.\" width=\"350\" height=\"286\" data-warning=\"Missing alt text\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.18.55-AM-350x286.png 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.18.55-AM-1200x982.png 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.18.55-AM-768x629.png 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.18.55-AM.png 1444w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-91126\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deral Barton, &#8220;Desert Scape,&#8221; 1987, watercolor on Arches, 30 x 20 in.<\/p><\/div>\n<h4>Barton returned to his roots in commercial art, operating <i>Art &amp; Sign Company,<\/i> a company he bought from Denis Phillips in 1968 and ran until his retirement. He excelled in traditional hand lettering and gold leaf but later embraced digital technology, teaching himself design software and adopting vinyl plotting to stay current in the changing industry. Under Barton\u2019s leadership, the company became known for large window splashes, full-color banners, car body wraps, and custom logos. His versatility as an artist allowed him to take on a wide range of creative commissions. Notably, Barton sculpted a scale-model car, illustrated book covers, and created oversized sculptures for promotional displays. Among his memorable commissions were a 50-gallon drum-sized replica of a <em data-start=\"1254\" data-end=\"1268\">Phillips 66&#x2122;<\/em> oil can, a 10-foot crescent wrench and car muffler, and models of Godzilla and King Kong used to create giant promotional balloons.<\/h4>\n<h4>Barton\u2019s creative pursuits extended beyond leather and commercial art. Despite his busy career, Barton cultivated a deep love for learning and the outdoors. He appeared in local papers as much for his skills as an angler as for his artwork. In the early 1980s, Barton experimented with homebrewing beer and wine \u2014 even crafting a still in his basement to produce moonshine. He was also an enthusiastic golfer, sharing his love of the sport with friends and family.<\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">He is survived by his wife, Tena Holbrook; his daughters, Metra Barton (Danny Poate) and Nova (Brian Hayes); his granddaughter, Persephone Poate. The family encourages those who knew him to celebrate his life by enjoying a drink, learning something new, or listening to the music of Chet Baker\u2014a tribute to a man who embraced creativity, curiosity, and community throughout his life.<\/h4>\n<div id=\"attachment_91136\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-91136\" class=\"wpa-warning wpa-image-missing-alt wp-image-91136 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.17.27-AM-1200x426.png\" alt=\"A triptych of paintings exploring themes of war, violence, and destruction. The left panel shows skeletal figures in a dungeon-like space; the center panel features skulls beneath a flag with skull-topped poles, helicopters, and fireworks; the right panel depicts the burning Twin Towers and a nuclear explosion with fire engulfing the scene.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"426\" data-warning=\"Missing alt text\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.17.27-AM-1200x426.png 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.17.27-AM-350x124.png 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.17.27-AM-768x273.png 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.17.27-AM-1536x545.png 1536w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.17.27-AM.png 1774w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-91136\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deral Barton&#8217;s last work, &#8220;Untitled \u2014 after Guernica,&#8221; triptych, mixed media on canvas<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\">All images courtesy of the estate of Deral Barton.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Deral Barton\u2019s artistic journey spanned everything from Pop Art-inspired paintings to custom leather designs and hand-lettered signage. A fixture in Salt Lake City\u2019s creative scene, Barton\u2019s influence extended from the early days of Phillips Gallery to his counterculture leather shop that became a hub for artists and musicians. His versatile career blended fine art, fashion, and commercial design, leaving a lasting mark on Utah\u2019s cultural landscape. As we remember Barton\u2019s life and work, we reflect on his passion for creativity, craftsmanship, and community. Read more about Barton\u2019s remarkable career and enduring influence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91139,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_piecal_is_event":false,"_piecal_start_date":"","_piecal_end_date":"","_piecal_is_allday":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,14],"tags":[3134],"class_list":["post-91124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in_memoriam","category-visual_arts","tag-deral-barton"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-10.15.59-AM-1-e1741711425200.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-24 19:40:30","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91124"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91263,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91124\/revisions\/91263"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}