Sylvia Baruch

"I first started to draw when I was about 50 years old and had partially retired as a vice president at New York University where I had worked for 25 years, In truth, I was not much interested in the drawing I would produce.  My goal was to better ‘see’ or focus on what I was looking at.  So many years in the academic world had me focused on my mind and thoughts, so I was looking for something to direct my attention outward.  Only later did I find out that there were books urging drawing as a way to ‘see’. 

I soon came to enjoy drawing, especially with charcoal, but also pastels.  And I had some wonderful teachers to point the way, particularly Peter Solow and Michael Rosch.

After I retired in 1996, I was able to devote more of my time to drawing and painting—mostly acrylic, but also watercolors.  Unfortunately, I lost all my paintings in Storm Sandy. Also, for personal reasons, I stopped drawing and painting for many years beginning about 2015 and did not start again until I moved to Greenport in 2021.

Probably as important to my current work as my drawing experience is that I have had a long-time interest in the American Craft Movement which flourished in the 1970’s and 1980s.  I became quite knowledgeable about the movement and its artists and even flirted briefly with leaving NYU to become Director of the American Craft Council.  During this period, I got to know Jack Lenor Larson, the visionary Founder of LongHouse and became a member of the LongHouse Board early in its development.  I embraced Jack’s belief that art belongs in every aspect of life and living; this has shaped much of the work that I do today.

In addition to drawing, I weave baskets and make sculptures out of basketry material.  Most recently I have been making sculptures out of wire and items I find on the beach

Lastly, I should add that nearly all my art—drawing, painting, sculpture—is based on the human (mostly female) form.  Sometimes that is not obvious to the viewer since much of what I do is highly abstract, but I always know the human form is there and serves as an anchor for my work.

I am in private collections and in the LongHouse collection.  I have previously had shows in the Benson Gallery in East Hampton and the Crazy Monkey gallery in Amagansett."

African Woman
Conté crayon and charcoal
26 1/4 x 20 in
Courtesy of the artist
$2,200
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Energy
Conté crayon and charcoal
26 1/4 x 20 in
Courtesy of the artist
$2,200
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Pat
Charcoal
48 x 34 1/2 in
Courtesy of the artist
$10,000
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Reclining Woman
Charcoal
30 x 38 in 
Courtesy of the artist
$8,000
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Two Figures
Watercolor paper and pastels
Courtesy of the artist
$1,500 pair
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