barbarasykes.art

Barbara L. Sykes

My life, career and art are intrinsically intertwined journeys of self-discovery. I was born into a family of artists, designers and inventors. Since childhood, I have always produced art. Currently, I paint lyrical, colorful abstractions reminiscent of organic shapes, ethereal forms and underwater landscapes - evocative impressions of spiritual and elemental worlds. Recent Florida exhibitions include "Rhythms of Nature" at "Connections Art in Flight” exhibit at the Southwest Florida International Airport, June 2022 to June 2023, "Forces of Nature" was showcased on the cover of Estero Life Magazine, April 2022 and in their article, "Beholding Beauty: Artists of Estero Exhibit at COCO Art Gallery," the Florida Watercolor Society's 2022 FWS Online Show, the 36th Annual All Florida Exhibition - Alliance for the Arts, 2022, and at The Center for the Arts Bonita Springs, "Artistically Fashioned Exhibition" and “Members Show,” 2022. COCO Art Gallery in Estero and Naples Florida have been showing monthly a selection of my paintings since December 2021. “Ethereal Abstractions,” my solo watercolor exhibition, premiered 81 paintings during its 6-week run in 2020. These paintings evoke the spontaneity, themes and underlying presence of the Divine Feminine - reoccurring threads that continue from my time-based art. Prior to painting, in 1974 I became one of Chicago’s pioneering video and new media artists and, later to include, independent video producer, curator and Columbia College Professor of Television. In the 1970’s, I received international acclaim for my groundbreaking performances with Tom DeFanti during the first, live computer performances of their kind; The First Interactive Electronics Visualization Event, IEVE I, 1975, The Second Electronics Visualization Event, EVE II, 1976, and The Third Electronic Visualization Even, EVE III, 1978. My succeeding time-based work explores themes of spirituality, rituals and indigenous cultures from a feminist perspective – integrating music, dance, poetry, performance and martial arts. As a recipient of numerous grants and artists residencies, I toured and presented my solo exhibitions in New York, Chicago, Japan, Australia, Spain, and was the first woman video artist to present in China. Group museum exhibitions include; Museum of Modern Art, Paris, Museum of Modern Art, NYC, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, Kunst Museum, Germany, Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum, Copenhagen, Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, Museum of the Art Institute and Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. A featured artist in the 1996-1997 Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago’s retrospective exhibition, “Art in Chicago, 1945-1995”, and the companion book produced for this show. I am also a featured artist and contributor in the book, “New Media Futures: The Rise of Women in the Digital Arts, 2018; I tour nationally as part of its book's tours and present during its HerStory symposiums. For additional information, please visit the Wikipedia webpage about me: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Sykes_(artist).

My life, career and art are intrinsically intertwined journeys of self-discovery.

I was born into a family of artists, designers and inventors. Since childhood, I have always produced art. Currently, I paint lyrical, colorful abstractions reminiscent of organic shapes, ethereal forms and underwater landscapes - evocative impressions of spiritual and elemental worlds. Recent Florida exhibitions include "Rhythms of Nature" at "Connections Art in Flight” exhibit at the Southwest Florida International Airport, June 2022 to June 2023, "Forces of Nature" was showcased on the cover of Estero Life Magazine, April 2022 and in their article, "Beholding Beauty: Artists of Estero Exhibit at COCO Art Gallery," the Florida Watercolor Society's 2022 FWS Online Show, the 36th Annual All Florida Exhibition - Alliance for the Arts, 2022, and at The Center for the Arts Bonita Springs, "Artistically Fashioned Exhibition" and “Members Show,” 2022. COCO Art Gallery in Estero and Naples Florida have been showing monthly a selection of my paintings since December 2021. “Ethereal Abstractions,” my solo watercolor exhibition, premiered 81 paintings during its 6-week run in 2020. These paintings evoke the spontaneity, themes and underlying presence of the Divine Feminine - reoccurring threads that continue from my time-based art.

Prior to painting, in 1974 I became one of Chicago’s pioneering video and new media artists and, later to include, independent video producer, curator and Columbia College Professor of Television. In the 1970’s, I received international acclaim for my groundbreaking performances with Tom DeFanti during the first, live computer performances of their kind; The First Interactive Electronics Visualization Event, IEVE I, 1975, The Second Electronics Visualization Event, EVE II, 1976, and The Third Electronic Visualization Even, EVE III, 1978. My succeeding time-based work explores themes of spirituality, rituals and indigenous cultures from a feminist perspective – integrating music, dance, poetry, performance and martial arts. As a recipient of numerous grants and artists residencies, I toured and presented my solo exhibitions in New York, Chicago, Japan, Australia, Spain, and was the first woman video artist to present in China. Group museum exhibitions include; Museum of Modern Art, Paris, Museum of Modern Art, NYC, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, Kunst Museum, Germany, Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum, Copenhagen, Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, Museum of the Art Institute and Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. A featured artist in the 1996-1997 Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago’s retrospective exhibition, “Art in Chicago, 1945-1995”, and the companion book produced for this show. I am also a featured artist and contributor in the book, “New Media Futures: The Rise of Women in the Digital Arts, 2018; I tour nationally as part of its book's tours and present during its HerStory symposiums. For additional information, please visit the Wikipedia webpage about me: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Sykes_(artist).