Audrey Melville Barker (1 November 1932 – 25 August 2002) was a British artist who in the later stages of her long career created installation pieces that pioneered ideas on disability and access.
She taught at both the University of Newcastle and at the Carlisle College of Art and began to develop installation pieces which she called environments and included compartmented assemblages.
[2] Late in 1967, Barker had an exhibition, shared with Sylvester Houédard, at the Lisson Gallery which featured assemblages some of which she displayed in compartmented trays.
[1] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Barker began to develop a series multisensory installations that explored ideas about disability and accessibility.
The installation attracted large crowds and the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London were keen to host the work but Barker refused as the space offered was not fully accessible.