still...LIFE
Barbara Eskin still...LIFE mixed media
still...Life 1
2021
mixed media
36"x 24"

torn net imprint on paper, collaged to acrylic painting on gesso board

Barbara Eskin still...LIFE mixed media
bearing witness
2021
mixed media
36"x 24"

torn net imprint on paper, collaged to acrylic painting on gesso board

Barbara Eskin still...LIFE mixed media
still...Life 3
2021
mixed media
30" x 24"

torn net imprint on paper, collaged to acrylic painting on gesso board

Barbara Eskin still...LIFE mixed media
The Future Has a Past 2
2021
mixed media
36" x 30"

composition of ink print and oil painting on canvas

Barbara Eskin still...LIFE ink and oil on canvas
Flight
2013/21
ink and oil on canvas
30 x 30

Barbara Eskin still...LIFE mixed media
Soar
2021
mixed media
48 x 52

Torn net imprint mounted on canvas, affixed to painted plywood

Barbara Eskin still...LIFE torn net imprint on paper, collaged to acrylic painting canvas
Token
2021
torn net imprint on paper, collaged to acrylic painting canvas
30 x 30

Barbara Eskin still...LIFE composition of ink print and oil painting on canvas
mute dialogue (sold)
2021
composition of ink print and oil painting on canvas
36 x 30

Barbara Eskin still...LIFE mixed mediia
still...Life 3
2021
mixed mediia
30 x 24

torn net imprint on paper, collaged to acrylic painting on gesso board


"Still … Life" is about fleeting stability in a fast changing world, and about the fragility of all living things.
Life is fragile, and technology may enhance it, or confine and threaten, if not downright destroy it. Imprints of netting suggest a semblance of life. They may be torn, cut, or left untouched. Set in an environment of hard edges and bold colors, they hold their own.
The techniques I used corresponded to what I wanted to express:
Dipping netting into ink, dropping it on paper or canvas and cutting or tearing the imprints apart, was intuitive and physical. Serendipity played a role, but so did a discerning eye, and, yes, love. The minimalist part, on the other hand, involved meticulous precision and control from the start.
 The message lies in the interaction between both worlds.