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

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.