Paintings
The subject matter of Barbara Hyman’s work is mostly figurative. She paints within the context of abstract design relationships. The innate logic of structure and form are what the artist looks for. Hyman’s interest is in creating a painting, not a traditional portrait, as seen in the painting Marissa (click here). The challenge of expressing human qualities that are universally recognizable is what inspires the painter.
Revealing the process is an important element of the work. To see the pentimenti, the shadow of a movement changed, or an area left uncompleted to engage the viewers’ eye and imagination ‘to finish the area’ brings an interesting element to the work.
People are an endlessly fascinating subject for Hyman’s language of paint and drawing. To create an image by combining what is perfect in nature with ones’ particular idiosyncrasies, both seen and imagined is to find and reveal that space between art and life.