While at Vauxhall, Barker realised the potential of sculptural qualities of industrially-finished objects, particularly in leather and chrome-plated metal.

Barker’s works witness his typical love of disguising reality and play on contrasts, thus introducing an element of ambiguity, a quintessential practice of the Surrealists.

Through the 1970s, Barker's work was exhibited at high-profile galleries in London including Anthony d'Offay and in mainland Europe at Bruno Bischofberger and the Baukunst Galerie.

During the past twenty years, Barker had numerous one-man shows at Whitford Fine Art, London.

[13] In 2017 Wolverhampton Art Gallery[14] hosted a long overdue museum exhibition of Barker's first two decades as a sculptor.