When Pennsylvanian Barry Ginder was an architecture student at Temple University his art professor, Larry Spaid, influenced how he would eventually approach his own pieces. “He taught me a method of working the full surface repeatedly, and then refining the work until a moment of balance is achieved,” he says.
It was natural for Ginder to pursue both disciplines, which allow him to document the world around him. While rooted in his knowledge of structures, Ginder’s artwork strays from literal representation. Abstract versions of urban landscapes, which he describes as excerpts, take on geometric forms that seem to pulse with movement.
Not surprisingly, Ginder focuses on the experience of space—how people move through it, relate to it, and are connected by it. He strives to capture the energy of the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly his beloved Philadelphia. Color and layered surfaces add depth that echo the textures in the city.
Ginder puts acrylic on plexiglass, which he sands to transform the surface. Vibrant colors are paired with an array of lines, from sharp to gestural. These layers shift along with the viewer’s perspective, and add a depth that echoes the diversity in the city.
Sketchbooks are essential for Ginder as concepts take shape via his drawings. “Whether it’s a quote, song, or a building detail, I trace the idea and record it on paper,” he notes. “Over time, that process develops meaning and becomes a proposal.”
Today, Barry Ginder joins us for Friday Five!
1. Sean Scully
The intense depth of his paintings. The power of painting the same image repeatedly. The strength of both large and small works.
2. Finn Juhl — Chair 45
A revolutionary chair design, one of the first to detach the backrest and seat from the frame, creating a floating effect. An iconic organic form with meticulous joinery. A timeless design.
3. Gerhard Richter + Richard Serra 2016
At the Marian Goodman Gallery and the Gagosian Gallery in 2016, I saw a dual showing of painting and sculpture that, in my mind, had a strong resonance in the similarity of the work. Steel and stretched paint felt like parallel expressions of pure power and emotion.
4. My Son’s Hands
My son is my inspiration. Through his trials, he has risen to a level often only achieved by wise old souls. This shows up in simple, everyday ways, like the gathering of a daily harvest from his garden.
5. Sunlight on My Paintings
Light is a primary source of inspiration. I often find the best source material in cityscapes drenched in light. In my work on plexiglass, the continual layering of the surface captures subtleties of depth and transparency, resonating with surfaces saturated in light or shade. In the studio, the ultimate moment is when sunlight falls onto a completed painting, creating another composition.
Works by Barry Ginder:
B+G Residence in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
This is a house I designed with Suzanne Brandt as part of Brandt+Ginder Architecture. It sits on 2.5 acres and was shaped not by style, but by the experience of light, wind, exterior views, and interior relationships. It’s a modern home designed with simplicity and rigor, constructed with traditional material detail in a modern aesthetic. Handmade brick, mahogany siding, a metal roof, and oversized windows create a contemporary farmhouse. It’s a handmade object in the landscape with vista-like views, and interior framed views toward the extended landscape.
Private Residence
This project was a renovation of a historic stone building with a reddish-purple coloration. An addition was designed in copper, which over time developed a similar purplish tone, creating a modern interpretation of the original stone materiality.Copper was also carried into the kitchen, reinforcing the connection between the new intervention and the existing structure.
2026 View East no3
A zoomed-in detail from a continuing series of paintings based on a particular view of Philadelphia. Philadelphia is personal to me, as it’s where I went to school at Temple University. The view is from the 11th floor in West Philadelphia, looking east. Throughout the day, the scene changes, especially in the afternoon as the light shifts. This painting is one of many versions of that same view.
3 Squared Painting
A nine-squared composition based on the View East series. This work is part of a larger cityscape series, but more zoomed out—an actual city view rather than a graphic interpretation. It uses the same Philadelphia view that runs through the series.
Favorite Bench
A bench I designed with elegant details and minimal parts to create the maximum outcome. A simple leg structure is shaped and folded for support. Cushions allow for comfort and perching, but not lounging, a conversation bench. An extended wood seat becomes a place for objects. Two materials, walnut and textured cotton upholstery, are handcrafted into a modern bench.
