Book Review: SHEILA ISHAM

by Henry Berry

Editor/Publisher

ANTIQUES TODAY

essay by Alexander Borovsky

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For several decades, the American artist now living on Long Island traveled widely with her husband who was a diplomat. But she was an adventuresome, inquisitive soul anyway. She has lived or traveled in Germany, Russia, Hong Kong, Haiti, India. “Ancient Chinese calligraphy, traditional Indian meditation practices, [and] Haitian mythology” are noted as influences on her paintings. In the long introductory essay, Borovsky remarks on Isham’s cosmic theme. Such influences and themes are seen in the artist’s late-1960’s series on the I Ching and her later works with biomorphic figures and almost imagistic animals, as well as her abstract art of dense and mixed colors with a mystical quality. The animals she paints capture attention especially for their ghostly appearances. With Isham active as an artist for the past four decades, exhibited in museums and galleries around the world, and works of hers a part of the collections of museums in many states, the question is raised concerning the involvement of the State Russian Museum in the publication of this book on her life, career, and art. This is answered in the “Foreword” by Yevgenia Petrova in connecting Isham’s art with early 1900’s Russian artists such as Wassily Kadinsky and Kasimir Malevich. Like Isham, these path breaking Russian artists were explorers of abstract art and mystical themes and styles.

 The section of plates of Isham’s art approaches 200 pages.

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SHEILA ISHAM by Sheila Isham, Essay by Alexander Borovsky, Foreword by Yevgenia Petrova

SIZE: 9 ¹/2  x 12 inches, PAGES: 224, HARDCOVER

ILLUSTRATIONS: color illustrations, photographs

ISBN: 3-93529899-4

PUBLISHER: Palace Editions/State Russian Museum

Distributer in U.S. - Antique Collectors Club Ltd., toll free 800-252-5231, 413-529-0861, fax 413- 529-0862, info@antiquecc.com,  mail: 116 Pleasant Street, Easthampton, MA 01027