Manuel Barbadillo

Manuel Barbadillo was born in 1929 in Cazalla de la Sierra, Sevilla. He trained as a painter in various workshops and art schools in Seville while studying Law. Between 1955 and 1959, he traveled through Europe and North Africa, mainly working in Morocco, where his style evolved from realism to informalism, a form of abstract art focused on spontaneous expression and texture. From 1959 to 1962, he lived in New York, where his work shifted towards objectualism, emphasizing the physical presence of shapes, and geometric abstraction, which uses precise shapes and forms to create structured compositions.

Barbadillo’s work is defined by an exploration of modular forms and combinatorial logic. Starting in the 1960s, he developed a visual language based on repeating square modules that, through rotation, inversion, and color variation, generate complex rhythmic patterns. His artistic process involved applying mathematical and computer-generated principles to art, pioneering the use of early computer technology to analyze and create compositions. The balance of opposites, such as black and white or positive and negative shapes, reflects his interest in universal orders and dualities inspired by philosophies like Pythagorean harmony. Although computers became important tools in his work from the late 1960s, Barbadillo always maintained a connection to traditional painting techniques, translating his modular designs onto canvas with deliberate imperfections that reveal the artist’s hand.

Throughout his career, Barbadillo gained recognition as a leading figure in Spanish abstract art and a pioneer in computer-assisted creation. He was a founding member of several important groups and seminars focused on art and technology, including the “Nueva Generación” in Madrid and the “Centro de Cálculo” at the Complutense University. His work was exhibited widely in solo and group shows across Europe, North America, and South America from the 1950s through the early 2000s. Museums such as the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo in Sevilla, and the IVAM in Valencia hold his works in their permanent collections. He participated in prestigious biennials and international exhibitions and was affiliated with influential organizations like the Computer Arts Society in London and the Gesellschaft für Computer Grafik und Computer Kunst in Munich. Barbadillo passed away in 2003.