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Barbara Lewis (1925-2008)

  • barbara lewisBarbara Lewis (1925-2008) was a Chicago-based painter, photographer, and printmaker.   She studied at the Art Institute of Chicago (1943), University of Illinois at Chicago (1967-70), and the IIT Institute of Design (MFA in Printmaking, 1970-72).  Through her mixed-media compositions, Lewis explored Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art, often referring to urban imagery of Chicago.

    Barbara Lewis was born in 1925 and lived in the Chicago area for most of her life. She was a fine art painter, photographer, and printmaker. As an adolescent she first worked in watercolor, pastel, and oil paint depicting the extensive garden established by her parents. Her passion for art led her to study at the Art Institute of Chicago (1943), the University of Illinois at Chicago (1967-1970), and the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology, where she earned an MFA in printmaking in 1972.

    Lewis worked as the Curator of Prints at the Morton Arboretum Library in Lisle, Illinois (1965-67) and as a docent at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago before becoming assistant to the director of the Richard Gray Gallery.  She enjoyed the position from 1971-1993 while also maintaining her own studio in various Chicago locations, including the historic Tree Studios.  She was represented by the Jay Horwich Gallery and the Jan Cicero Gallery in Chicago, and participated in the Art Rental and Sales Gallery at the Art Institute of Chicago.   In April 1975, the Richard Gray Gallery received a Fernand Leger lithograph entitled "Jeune femme a face." To Lewis "it was a veritable explosion in my head and heart. Very simple, extremely powerful. Drawn on paper, it was transferred to stone and retained the texture of the lines on the paper, giving it a subtle tone. Each line was so poignant and so inevitable, with the expression of serene directness on the face so magnetic that everything else paled before it."  Lewis was deeply inspired by Leger and worked for years writing a body of work on the artist, in contact with collectors, museums, and galleries in the U.S. and France.  In the end she could not achieve an agreement among the parties involved that would result in a published work.

    Above all, Lewis enjoyed experimenting with new techniques and materials and found more joy in the process of creating art than in the end product itself. She had a strong big-picture vision of her trajectory as an artist, and was fearless in combining mediums, both embracing and celebrating the accidental in her work.  Lewis believed that a certain amount of turbulence and contrast was necessary to form a kinetic harmony in her work.  As a result, her oeuvre includes oil paintings, various printmaking techniques, and her own black and white photography.  Her father was a photographer, and Lewis was inspired to experiment with the medium in her own work.  She enjoyed the unpredictability of adding photo emulsion to her paintings, and they often add a mysterious, subtle texture to her mixed media pieces.  Lewis’ role at the Richard Gray Gallery kept her aware of and in contact with many well-known Abstract Expressionist and Pop artists of that period.

    The Lewis family, which included Barbara, her husband Eugene, and their daughter Sara, traveled extensively.  Barbara drew inspiration from their trips and painted scenes from Europe, Mexico, and Egypt.  In 1983, Lewis and Sara took a three week long cruise down the Nile River in Egypt.  This trip sparked Lewis’ ongoing fascination with Egypt and upon their return she began her first series of Egypt paintings, which would eventually exhibit at the Mendocino Art Center.  Her subjects ranged from timeless architectural images to the human form, with a combination of modern and ancient elements.  The juxtaposition of the themes reflected Barbara’s belief that artists have a responsibility to show the way things have changed and not simply reflect the world as it used to be.

    In 1992, Lewis moved to the West Coast on a large parcel of land with ocean views near Fort Bragg, Northern California. She lived in a beautiful Arts and Craft-style home and held a separate studio on the property.  Lewis began exhibiting her work at the Mendocino Art Center and also showed work at the Gallery on the Rim in San Francisco, the Fort Bragg Center for the Arts and other venues in Mendocino, Fort Bragg, and Eureka.  Despite the increasing burden of Parkinson’s Disease, Lewis continued creating art until her death in November 2008.

    Many thanks to Sara Moore, Barbara’s daughter, and Teri Robertson-Lewis for bringing Barbara’s collection and story to us.  This collection was acquired through the estate of artist Barbara Lewis, family friend of Michael and Alice Mason.
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<i>Portugal</i> <br>1970 Watercolor <br><br>#B6374
Portugal
1970 Watercolor

#B6374 Barbara Lewis $395
<i>Studies with Two Hands</i> <br>1969 Oil on Paper <br><br>#B5866
Studies with Two Hands
1969 Oil on Paper

#B5866 Barbara Lewis $575
<i>Portugal</i> <br>1970 Watercolor <br><br>#B5861
Portugal
1970 Watercolor

#B5861 Barbara Lewis $395
Modernist Abstracted Trees <br>1940-60s Watercolor <br><br>#B5832
Modernist Abstracted Trees
1940-60s Watercolor

#B5832 Barbara Lewis $335
Black Bird in Abstraction <br>1940-60s Watercolor <br><br>#B5786
Black Bird in Abstraction
1940-60s Watercolor

#B5786 Barbara Lewis $295
<i>Gatlinburg</i> <br>1947 Watercolor <br><br>#B5774
Gatlinburg
1947 Watercolor

#B5774 Barbara Lewis $265
Moody Floral Still Life <br>1969 Watercolor <br><br>#B5853
Moody Floral Still Life
1969 Watercolor

#B5853 Barbara Lewis $485
Monochromatic Abstracted Crane <br>1940-60s Watercolor <br><br>#B5844
Monochromatic Abstracted Crane
1940-60s Watercolor

#B5844 Barbara Lewis $295
Abstracted Dog Painting <br>1960 Watercolor <br><br>#B5788
Abstracted Dog Painting
1960 Watercolor

#B5788 Barbara Lewis $345
Dreamy Rose Still Life <br>1940-60s Watercolor <br><br>#B5840
Dreamy Rose Still Life
1940-60s Watercolor

#B5840 Barbara Lewis $285
<i>Gatlinburg</i> <br>1940s Watercolor <br><br>#B5772
Gatlinburg
1940s Watercolor

#B5772 Barbara Lewis $265
Blue & Green Geometric Abstract <br>1940-60s Watercolor <br><br>#B5851
Blue & Green Geometric Abstract
1940-60s Watercolor

#B5851 Barbara Lewis $345
<i>Gatlinburg</i> <br>1947 Watercolor <br><br>#B5779
Gatlinburg
1947 Watercolor

#B5779 Barbara Lewis $265
Golden Tower City Abstract <br>1961 Watercolor <br><br>#B5855
Golden Tower City Abstract
1961 Watercolor

#B5855 Barbara Lewis $435
Abstracted Coastal Hillside Landscape <br>1942 Watercolor <br><br>#B5790
Abstracted Coastal Hillside Landscape
1942 Watercolor

#B5790 Barbara Lewis $295
Abstracted Coastal Landscape <br>1942 Watercolor <br><br>#B5795
Abstracted Coastal Landscape
1942 Watercolor

#B5795 Barbara Lewis $335
Cityscape in Blue & Black <br>1940-60s Watercolor <br><br>#B5793
Cityscape in Blue & Black
1940-60s Watercolor

#B5793 Barbara Lewis Sold $395
Deconstructed Ribcage Abstract <br>1960 Paint <br><br>#B5838
Deconstructed Ribcage Abstract
1960 Paint

#B5838 Barbara Lewis $385
Sleeping Dog <br>1940s Ink <br><br>#B5762
Sleeping Dog
1940s Ink

#B5762 Barbara Lewis $295
<i>Palais Royal</i> <br>1971 Serigraph <br><br>#B6381
Palais Royal
1971 Serigraph

#B6381 Barbara Lewis On Hold
<i>Rondel</i> <br>1960 Stone Lithograph <br><br>#B5859
Rondel
1960 Stone Lithograph

#B5859 Barbara Lewis $385
Bold Cactus Still Life <br>1960 Watercolor <br><br>#B5848
Bold Cactus Still Life
1960 Watercolor

#B5848 Barbara Lewis Sold $350
Red & Black Gestural Abstract <br>1969 Stone Lithograph <br><br>#B5857
Red & Black Gestural Abstract
1969 Stone Lithograph

#B5857 Barbara Lewis $435
Abstracted Fruit Still Life <br>1947 Watercolor <br><br>#B5764
Abstracted Fruit Still Life
1947 Watercolor

#B5764 Barbara Lewis $275
Loose Abstracted Trees <br>1940-60s Watercolor <br><br>#B5776
Loose Abstracted Trees
1940-60s Watercolor

#B5776 Barbara Lewis Sold $235
<i>Gatlinburg</i> <br>1947 Watercolor <br><br>#B5766
Gatlinburg
1947 Watercolor

#B5766 Barbara Lewis $265
Monochromatic Stylized Scene <br>1960s Linoleum Block Print <br><br>#B5578
Monochromatic Stylized Scene
1960s Linoleum Block Print

#B5578 Barbara Lewis $265
Monochromatic Stylized Bridge <br>1960s Linoleum Block Print <br><br>#B5580
Monochromatic Stylized Bridge
1960s Linoleum Block Print

#B5580 Barbara Lewis $275
Monochromatic Stylized Bridge <br>1960s Linoleum Block Print <br><br>#B5583
Monochromatic Stylized Bridge
1960s Linoleum Block Print

#B5583 Barbara Lewis $195
Monochromatic Stylized Buildings <br>1960s Linoleum Block Print <br><br>#B5585
Monochromatic Stylized Buildings
1960s Linoleum Block Print

#B5585 Barbara Lewis $275
<i>Chartes</i> <br>1961 Linoleum Block Print <br><br>#B5588
Chartes
1961 Linoleum Block Print

#B5588 Barbara Lewis $245
Still Life with Flower & Fruit <br>1960s Linoleum Block Print <br><br>#B5593
Still Life with Flower & Fruit
1960s Linoleum Block Print

#B5593 Barbara Lewis $245
<i>Allium II</i> <br>1968 Stone Lithograph <br><br>#B5595
Allium II
1968 Stone Lithograph

#B5595 Barbara Lewis $350
<i>Roland</i> <br>1940-60s Stone Lithograph <br><br>#B5598
Roland
1940-60s Stone Lithograph

#B5598 Barbara Lewis $365
<i>Rope Twist</i> <br>1969 Stone Lithograph <br><br>#B5600
Rope Twist
1969 Stone Lithograph

#B5600 Barbara Lewis Sold $365
Yellow, Black & Blue Abstract <br>1960s Stone Lithograph <br><br>#B5605
Yellow, Black & Blue Abstract
1960s Stone Lithograph

#B5605 Barbara Lewis Sold $365
<i>Yacht Harbor Sunrise</i> <br>1956 Watercolor <br><br>#B5609
Yacht Harbor Sunrise
1956 Watercolor

#B5609 Barbara Lewis $295
Monochromatic Duck <br>1940s Linoleum Block Print <br><br>#B5529
Monochromatic Duck
1940s Linoleum Block Print

#B5529 Barbara Lewis $265
Charcoal Drawing of a Dog <br>1940s Charcoal <br><br>#B5531
Charcoal Drawing of a Dog
1940s Charcoal

#B5531 Barbara Lewis $345
Charcoal Drawing of a Cat <br>1940s Charcoal <br><br>#B5533
Charcoal Drawing of a Cat
1940s Charcoal

#B5533 Barbara Lewis $345
Modernist Drawing of a Dog <br>1940s Graphite <br><br>#B5537
Modernist Drawing of a Dog
1940s Graphite

#B5537 Barbara Lewis $345
Four Clarinet Players Vintage Sketch <br>1940s Graphite <br><br>#B5540
Four Clarinet Players Vintage Sketch
1940s Graphite

#B5540 Barbara Lewis $285
Charcoal Drawing of a Puppy <br>1940s Charcoal <br><br>#B5542
Charcoal Drawing of a Puppy
1940s Charcoal

#B5542 Barbara Lewis $345
1960s Mixed Media Abstract Collage on Wood Board <br><br>#B4719
1960s Mixed Media Abstract Collage on Wood Board

#B4719 Barbara Lewis Sold $295
Hectic Abstract <br>1988 Acrylic & Pastel <br><br>#B0613
Hectic Abstract
1988 Acrylic & Pastel

#B0613 Barbara Lewis Sold $1,425
Abstracted Brushstroke Study<br>1970 Etching<br><br>#A5941
Abstracted Brushstroke Study
1970 Etching

#A5941 Barbara Lewis Sold $685
<i>Cornfield in Summer</i> <br>1960-70s Oil <br><br>#B3566
Cornfield in Summer
1960-70s Oil

#B3566 Barbara Lewis Sold $1,285
Hectic Narrow Abstract <br>1973 Screen Print <br><br>#B3335
Hectic Narrow Abstract
1973 Screen Print

#B3335 Barbara Lewis $995
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