Charles Barbier is a native of Plaquemine, La. and a longtime resident of the Baton Rouge area. Mr. Barbier served in the Vietnam War from 1968-69 and then went on to get a Bachelor of Fine Arts from University of New Orleans and a Master of Fine Arts from Louisiana State University. Before this, Barbier was a self taught artist for 15 years. Mr. Barbier resided in Baker and frequently showed at local and regional galleries, including the Baton Rouge Gallery of which was a member from 1994 until his death in 2018.
Some defining characteristics of Mr. Barbier's work were his use of bright colors and controversial subject matter. His experience as a soldier during the Vietnam War helped to develop his skills as an artist and was also a major influence for the subject of his art. His art typically focused on religion, politics, and contentious topics, and is known to go through "phases;" for example, there was a circus phase where his pieces contained references to circus themes, and fairly recently he focused on pop culture with references to the likes of Michael Jackson and Prince (Heat Lightning). His pieces often have complex compositions that leave room for the viewers interpretations.
Mr. Barbier participated in the Walls Project in Baton Rouge. On June 13, 2013 the Walls Project unveiled a mural painted on the wall of Cash America Pawn located on Government street. The mural is titled "Baton Rouge Blues" and commemorates some of the great blues musicians of the Baton Rouge area such as, Tabby Thomas, Slim Harpo, Raful Neal, Henry Gray, Big Luther Kent, and Eddie Johnson. Additionally, Mr. Barbier painted murals for the Odell S. Williams African American Museum, BREC Parks, and the original Pastime Restaurant.
Sadly, Charles Barbier passed away on August 2nd, 2018. You can learn more about this artist by taking a look at the additional resources on this page.
