For Joël Barbiero, nature offers an endless source of inspiration for his art. From the rocky terrains and waterfalls that were subjects of his earlier work, Barbiero has continued to train his sights on the ever-changing facets of the natural landscape in his oil paintings and drawings in pencil, charcoal, and pastel. Rather than representing nature through a lively range of color, Barbiero uses a limited and muted palette consisting primarily of ochre, black, and white in much of his oeuvre. This somber color scheme, redolent of earth and stone, however, vividly inflects the appearance and texture of austere rocks depicted in his works, evoking variegated rock strata composed of different minerals. Often oscillating between representation and abstraction, these deceptively simple compositions conceal the depth of feeling with which Barbiero transposes the raw elegance of these natural, telluric formations.

Born in Beaumont, France, in 1948, Barbiero currently lives and works in Clermont-Ferrand. His work has been featured in solo exhibitions organized by the Galerie Jean-Louis Mandon, Lyon; Galerie Garnier-Delaporte, Sancerre; Centre Nicolas-Pomel, Issoire; Galerie Richard Nicolet, Coustellet; Galerie Gilles Naudin, Paris; and others. Since 1976, Barbiero has participated in group exhibitions held at the Gnaccarini Galleria d'Arte, Bologna; Salon des Réalités Nouvelle, Paris; Galerie d'Art Contemporain de Chamalières; Galerie ARKOS, Clermont-Ferrand; and Galerie Richard Nicolet, Coustellet-Oppede; among others. In addition to painting and drawing, Barbiero also creates assemblages using liquid enamel. He established the enamel studio at L'École Départementale d'Architecture de Volvic in 1989.

TL