Barbara Gardner

Barbara Gardner (1923–2005), described as an "artist of the surreal," was born in New Jersey and initially worked as a clerk and designer at an insurance company before making a pivotal career change in 1960 to pursue art full-time.

Her practice draws on the surrealist tradition of Magritte, Delvaux, and de Chirico, developed into a distinctive personal vision — a striking contrast between the mundane exterior and vivid interior of her working life, reminiscent of similar dualities in Magritte's own biography. Her paintings, drawings, and mixed-media work range from portraiture and domestic scenes to fantastical, dreamlike imagery.