Project Description

Gene Barbera

To make one of his creations, Richard “Gene” Barbera tries to piece shapes together like a puzzle to form the image. Keeping the visual to a minimum, he learned keeping simple gets a better reaction. Let the viewer put the pieces together.  He draws most of his inspiration from recognizable images from the coastal images and especially the Portland, ME area, where he grew up, and learned to practice art under visiting artist, such as Jamie Wyeth at the Portland School of Art (before MECA). Before finishing his degree in graphic design at the University of Hartford, he attended the University of Southern Maine where he was able to practice drawing and painting. Barbera moved to the New York City area after college, and designed large scale branding identities for companies such as Topps Card, Toys ‘R’ Us, and The National Hockey League. When he is not painting, or practicing art, Barbera travels to Madrid, Spain with his wife and two young children, where he manages to find more inspiration in his travels.

Available Work

Gene Barbera ‘Ft. Williams’ Tri-Color Silkscreen Print

40″x30″ Edition of 12, Unframed $2210ea

Gene Barbera ‘Last Trap’ Archival Silk Screen 35″x29″ Framed $1800

Gene Barbera ‘Snowy Harbor’ Archival Silkscreen Edition of 50 30″x22″ Unframed $895

Gene Barbera ‘Season’s Wait’ Edition of 16, Archival Screen Print 32″x32” Framed $1880

Gene Barbera ‘Boat Builders’ Archival Silkscreen Print  23″ x 30″ $1260

Gene Barbera ‘Coastal Cruise’ Edition of 5, Archival Screen Print Navy Blue

30″x30″ Unframed $1365ea

Gene Barbera ‘Rocky Coast’ Edition of 5, Archival Screen Print Navy Blue

30″x30″ Unframed $1365ea

Gene Barbera ‘Two Lights’ Edition of 5, Archival Screen Print Metallic Gold

22″x30″ Unframed $945ea

Gene Barbera ‘Fishing at the Boatyard’ Edition of 5, Archival Screen Print Brick Red

30″x30″ Unframed $1365ea

Gene Barbera ‘Wharf’ Silk Screen Print Edition of 20 40″x20″ $945ea⁠

Gene Barbera ‘Baiter’ Silk Screen Print Edition of 12 22″x30″ $895ea⁠ Unframed | $1260 Framed

Gene Barbera ‘The Map’ Silk Screen Print Edition of 25 20″x22″ $420⁠

Gene Barbera ‘Fixing Nets’ Archival Silkscreen Edition of 50 16”x20” $420 Unframed

Gene Barbera ‘Storm Coming’ Edition of 16, Archival Screen Print 30″x30″ $1680 Unframed

Gene Barbera ‘The Retreat’ Archival Silk Screen⁠ Edition of 15
30″x30″ $1680 Framed

Gene Barbera ‘Big Catch’ Archival Screen Print Edition of 20 11”x16” $425

Gene Barbera ‘Hauling Up’ Archival Screen Print Edition of 20 16”x24” $450

Gene Barbera ‘Trolling Red’ Archival Screen Print, Edition of 30, 9”x10” $250

Gene Barbera ‘Trolling Green’ Archival Screen Print, Edition of 30, 9”x10” $250

Statement:

Through simplicity and minimalism, I aim to capture the essential beauty of nature and life. My artwork distills patterns, forms, and experiences into their purest essence. I am drawn to conveying the character of my subjects without unnecessary complexity.

Influenced by my background in graphic design, I take an iconographic approach to abstraction. Bold shapes, clean lines, and vivid color symbolically represent my observations. I give viewers just enough visual information to spark imagination and interpretation. Some guesswork makes the work more engaging.

My creative process is one of constant evolution and surprise. Each new piece builds on the last in an intuitive way. By continually practicing observation and reduction, my understanding of my subjects deepens. Yet there is always more to learn.

I am deeply committed to the philosophy that less is more. Simplicity does not have to mean expected or straightforward. Finding the balance point between complex reality and minimalist representation is my constant challenge. I aim to present the everyday in a novel way and add beauty through careful editing. My hope is that through simplicity and thoughtful reduction, my work reveals new perspectives on our common visual language.

For a long time now, my work has found a clearer resolution by just using a simplistic approach. Every day images dont have to be what you expect. Add beauty, add form, add a sense of place. I like to give you some history spans as a Brand Graphic Designer, I’ve learned to make things simple and leave out the static/ noise which makes your message almost iconic, The creative evolution of my work is sometimes as surprising to me as it is to others.

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