Barbara Rachko Artist Profile

Barbara Rachko’s Selected Bibliography

August 22nd, 2008

Awodey, Mark.  “Southern Culture,” (Exhibition Review), Seven Days (Burlington, VT), Oct. 28, 1998. (Reproduction)

Birke, Judy.  “Exploring Art-Making’s Internal and External Worlds,” (Review), New Haven (CT) Register, September 26, 2004.

Bischoff, Dan. ”A World of Art.” (Review), The Star Ledger, (Newark, NJ), February 17, 2006

Bischoff, Dan. “Insomnia Exhibit is a Real Eye-Opener,” (Review), The Star Ledger, (Newark, NJ), March 24, 2002. (Reproduction)

Bischoff, Dan.  “Gallery Celebrates 25 Years in the Vanguard,” (Review), The Star-Ledger, September 17, 2000. (Reproduction)

Bischoff, Dan.  “Farewell Heralds New Beginnings,” (Review), The Star-Ledger, March 23, 2000. (Reproduction)

Braff, Phyllis.  “Works that Create and Hold Energy,” (Review)The New York Times, November 17, 1996.  (Reproduction)

CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women, Corvallis, OR, Vol. 22:1, Summer 2004.  (Rep’s.)

Cambridge Blue Book, International Biographical Center, Cambridge, England, 2005.

Coates, Jason.  “All Mixed Up:  Artspace’s New Show includes Artists Whose Work Contrasts Sharply with Each Other,” (Exhibition Review), Style Weekly, Richmond, VA, Oct. 5, 2005.  (Reproduction)

Collins, Erica.  “Suspended Narratives: Provocative Works on Display in Kingston,” (Review), The North Kingston Standard-Times (RI), Oct. 23 – 24, 2003.

Collins, Tom.  “SFCC’s Exhibition Space One of City’s Best-Kept Secrets,” (Review), Albuquerque (NM) Journal, Feb. 24, 2004.

Dellafiora, James.  “From the Navy to Artist’s Life,” (Feature Article), The Villager (New York), August 28, 1996. (Reproduction)

Dellolio Peter.  “Previews: Jose Luis Corella, Francesco DePani, Ellen and Michel Gran, Barbara Rachko, Mitzura Salgian,” (Review), NY Arts, #14, Oct. 1997.

Dictionary of International Biography, International Biographical Center, Cambridge, England, 25th Ed.:  1997.

Encyclopedia of Living Artists, Penn Valley, CA , 10th Ed.:  1997.  (Reproduction)

Fighting Back:  An Exhibition in Support of the Campaign to Stop Violence Against Women, (Exhibition Catalogue), Amnesty International, Tokyo, Japan, March 2004.  (Reproduction)

Grant, Daniel.  “Self-Publishing a Catalogue,” (Feature Article), American Artist, February 2004. (Reproduction)

Harrison, Helen. “With Luck, Iconoclasts Find Their Mediums.” (Review), The New York Times, Feb. 18, 2006. (Reproduction)

Henry, Gerrit.  “Barbara Rachko:  Gods and Monsters,” Domestic Threats, (Catalogue), New York, NY, 2001, reprinted 2004.  (Reproductions)

Konau, Britta.  “He Urged Her to Abdicate and Film Noir,” Domestic Threats, (Catalogue), New York, NY, 2001, reprinted 2004.  (Reproductions)

Klein, Richard.  “Curator’s Remarks,” Aljira Emerge 2000 (Exhibition Catalogue), Aljira:  A Center for Contempoary Art, Newark, NJ, March 9 - April 21, 2000.  (Reproduction)

Liburt, Ellen.  “Violence, Sex, Greed, & Domination Pervade Brewster Arts Opening,” (Review), Open Air (New York), October 23, 1996.  (Reproductions)

Maya, Carey. “Art Between Structure and Being” (Review) The Suffolk County News, (Oakdale, NY), Feb. 23, 2006. (Reproduction)

Mercado, Ashley and McGurk, John J.  “The Erotic Art Show at the Blackstone River Gallery,” (Review), Agenda (Woonsocket, RI), April 14 – 28, 2005.

Marquis Who’s Who in America, New Providence, NJ, 57th Ed.:  2003; 58th Ed.:  2004; 60th Diamond Ed.: 2006, 61st Ed: 2007, 62nd Ed: 2008.

Marquis Who’s Who in Finance and Industry, New Providence, NJ, 34th Ed.:  2004 – 2005.

Marquis Who’s Who in the World, New Providence, NJ , 21st Ed.:  2004; 22nd Ed.:  2005;23rd Ed.:  2006, 24th Ed.: 2007.

Marquis Who’s Who of American Women, New Providence, NJ,

19th Ed.:  1995 - 96;
20th Ed.:  1997 - 98;
23rd Ed.:  2002 - 03;
24th Ed.:  2004 – 05;
25th Silver Anniversary Ed.:  2006-07,
26th Ed.: 2007.

Maya, Carey.  “Art Between Structure and Being” (Review), The Suffolk County News, (Oakdale, NY), Feb. 23, 2006.  (Reproduction)

McCormack, Jeannie.  “Barbara Rachko’s Surrogates for Our Inner Demons,” Gallery & Studio, (New York, NY), Nov.–Dec. 2006/Jan. 2007.  (Reproduction)

McCue, Kaz.  “Curator’s Statement,” Extraordinary Things:  A Study of Contemporay Art Through Material Culture, (Exhibition Brochure), Indiana State University,Terra Haute, IN; Oct. 30 – November 22, 2003.  (Reproductions)

Mercado, Ashley and McGurk, John J.  “The Erotic Art Show at the Blackstone River Gallery,” (Review), Agenda (Woonsocket, RI), April 14 – 28, 2005.

New American Paintings, The Open Studio Press, Wellesley, MA;  April 1998.  (Reproductions)

Norris, Doug.  “URI Show Ranges From the Surreal to the Sublime,” (Review), South County Independent (Providence, RI) , Oct. 23, 2003.

The Pedestal Magazine.com, Charlotte, NC, June/July 2003.  (Reproductions)

O’Shaughnessy, Tracey.  “Pliskin, curator and Artist, ‘Looking In/Looking Out,” (Review), The Sunday Republican, Chesire, CT, October 3, 2004.

Proskow, Christine. “The Year’s Best Art: Experimental,” (Feature Article), The Artist’s Magazine, Dec. 2007. (Reproduction)

The Pedestal Magazine.com, Charlotte, NC, June/July 2003.  (Reproductions)

Poet Lore, Volume 91, Number 2, Ann Arbor, MI. (Reproductions, Front and Back  Cover).

Rachko, Barbara.  “Artist’s Remarks,” Fetish and Ritual, (Exhibition Brochure), Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, PA; Sept. 3 – 25, 2003.  (Reproductions)

Rodriguez, Bill.  “Dream Weavers:  Suspended Narratives Explores Extra Dimensions,” (Review), The Providence (RI) Phoenix, October 31 –  Nov. 6, 2003.

Schaber, Greg.  “Paint What’s Important,” (Feature Article), The Artist’s Sketchbook, Jan. 2003. (Reproductions)

Schaber, Greg.  “Shifting Your Viewpoint,” (Feature Article), The Artist’s Magazine, Oct. 1997. (Reproductions)

Tolnick, Judith.  “Curator’s Remarks,” Suspended Narratives, (Exhibition Brochure), University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, October 9 – Dec. 8, 2003.  (Reproductions)

Tulane Review, New Orleans, LA, Volume XI, Issue 1, Fall 1999.  (Reproduction)

2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century, International Biographical Center, Cambridge, England, 2003, 2004.

2000 Outstanding People, International Biographical Center, Cambridge, England, 2003.

Van Siclen, Bill.  “At URI Gallery, Works That Will Give You Pause,” (Review), The Providence (RI) Journal, November 6 – 9, 2003.  (Reproduction)

Vine, Richard.  “Critic’s Remarks,” (Untitled Brochure), New York, NY, 1996.  (Reproductions)

The World’s Who’s Who of Women, International Biographical Center, Cambridge, England, 14th Ed.:  1996.

For the best art viewing experience, including priced works for sale, see Barbara Rachko’s work in the main gallery

Barbara Rachko’s Exhibition History

August 22nd, 2008
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2009 Laredo Center for the Arts, Laredo, TX
2008 Contemporary Art Network, New York, NY

Art at First, New York, NY

NOIR, Grand Rapids, MI

2007 “Gods and Monsters,” Capital One Art Gallery, McLean, VA
2006 Azarian McCullough Art Gallery, St. Thomas Aquinas College, Sparkill, NY
2005 Blackstone River Gallery, Woonsocket, RI

Artspace, Richmond, VA

“Scenes,” Crown Center Gallery, Loyola University, Chicago, IL

“Domestic Threats,” Joy Pratt Markham Gallery, The Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville, AR

2004 Edward Williams Gallery, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Hackensack, NJ

Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center, Cambridge, MA

“Domestic Threats,” Louise Jones Brown Gallery, Duke University, Durham, NC

2001 Olin Gallery, Roanoke College, Salem, VA
2000 La MaMa La Galleria, New York, NY
1999 “There is No Place Like Home,” Park Avenue Atrium, NYC; curated by Leah Poller, director, Art Alliance, NYC
1998 Broadway Windows, New York, NY

“There is No Place Like Home,” Mercedes-Benz Manhattan ArtSpace, NYC; curated by Leah Poller

“Through the Window,” Doll-Anstadt Gallery, Burlington, VT

1996 “Monkey Business,” Brewster Arts Ltd., New York, NY (two-person show), 479 Gallery, New York, NY

Watchung Art Center, Watchung, NJ

School 33 Art Center, Baltimore, MD

1995 Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY

Howard County Community College, Columbia, MD

1993 Cunneen-Hackett Art Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY

Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, VA

1992 Capitol Hill Art League, Washington, DC
Selected Group Exhibitions
2008 “Animals in Your Kingdom,” Micro Museum, Brooklyn, NY

Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Summit, NJ

Hudson Gallery, Sylvania, OH

Hefton-Page Fine Art, Blue Ridge, GA

Longstreth Goldberg, Naples, FL

ArtHaus, San Francisco, CA

2007 “Zen of the Artist,” Broome Street Gallery, New York, NY

“Red,” Bergdorf Goodman, New York, NY; curated by Contemporary Artists Network, NYC

“SCAN,” New Art Center, New York, NY

“Clear Blue Tuesday,” movie directed by Elizabeth Lucas, photograph appeared in a scene at a gallery opening

“Free Play,” Islip Art Museum, East Islip, NY

Hudson Gallery, Sylvania, OH

Hefton-Page Fine Art, Blue Ridge, GA

Longstreth Goldberg, Naples, FL

“Masters’ Mystery Art Show,” Ritz Carlton, Art Basel Miami Beach, FL

“five x seven,” Arthouse at the Jones Center, Austin, TX and “five x seven – on the road:  Houston,” Gallery Sonja Roesch, Houston, TX

ArtHaus, San Francisco, CA

1212 Gallery, Burlingame, CA

2006 “Between Body and Object,” Anthony Giordano Gallery, Dowling College, Oakdale, NY; curated by Pam Brown, gallery director

“Postcards From the Edge,” Sikkema, Jenkins, New York, NY

Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Summit, NJ

Hudson Gallery, Sylvania, OH

Hefton-Page Fine Art, Blue Ridge, GA

Longstreth Goldberg, Naples, FL

“Masters’ Mystery Art Show,”
Ritz Carlton, Art Basel Miami Beach, FL

“About Face,” ArtHaus, San Francisco, CA

“Big Fun,” ArtHaus, San Francisco, CA

1212 Gallery, Burlingame, CA

2005 Room With a View Gallery, Shangai, China

“Night of a Thousand Drawings,” Artists Space, New York, NY

“Multiple Oneness,” Park-Art Gallery, New York, NY

“Au Courant,” A Space Gallery, Brooklyn, NY (three-person show)

Gallery Z, Providence, RI

Hudson Gallery, Sylvania, OH

Art Struck Gallery, Blue Ridge, GA

Longstreth and Goldberg, Naples, FL

Margeaux Kurtie Modern Art, Madrid, NM

“House Party - Celebrating 15 Years of Breast Cancer Action,” ArtHaus, San Francisco, CA

1212 Gallery, Burlingame, CA

Permanent Collection Loan, Main Library, Santa Fe Community College, Santa Fe, NM

2004 “What an Art Gallery Should Actually Look Like (Large Glass),” Exit Art, New York, NY; curated by Michele Thursz and Anne Ellegood

“Night of a Thousand Drawings,” Artists Space, New York, NY

“Play Things,” Kirkland Art Center, Clinton, NY; curated by John Rossis

“The Drawing Show,” Old Church Cultural Center School of Art, Demarest, NJ ; curated by Mary Murray, gallery director

“National Drawing 2004,” The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ

“Art of Survival,” Herspace, West Long Branch, NJ; curated by Nanci Hersh, artist

“Looking In/Looking Out,” Paul Mellon Arts Center at Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, CT; curated by Ellen Pliskin, artist

“Embodiment:  Myths in Animal Form,” PostPicasso.com, Richmond, VA; selected by Ursula Ilse-Neuman, curator, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY

“Critical Mass,” 1708 Gallery, Richmond, VA; curated by Peter Schjeldahl, critic, The New Yorker

Artway Gallery, Brampton, Ontario

“Masters’ Mystery Art Show,” Ritz Carlton, Art Basel Miami Beach, FL

Padulo Longstreth and Goldberg, Naples, FL

Hudson Gallery, Sylvania, OH

“Integrate/Disintegrate,” Visual Arts Gallery, Santa Fe Community College, Santa Fe, NM

Margeaux Kurtie Modern Art, Madrid, NM

Permanent Collection Loan, Main Library, Santa Fe Community College, Santa Fe, NM

1212 Gallery, Burlingame, CA

2003 “Fighting Back:  An Exhibition in Support of the Campaign to Stop Violence Against Women,”  Kyoritsu Women’s College, Tokyo, Japan

Phyllis Weil & Company, New York, NY

Monique Goldstrom, New York, NY

“Suspended Narratives,” Fine Arts Center Galleries, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI; curated by Judith Tolnick, gallery director

Boston Corporate Art, Boston, MA

“Fetish and Ritual,” Bruce Gallery of Art, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, PA; curated by William Mathie, gallery director

Hudson Gallery, Sylvania, OH

“Little Gems,” Padulo Longstreth and Goldberg, Naples, FL

“International Works on Paper,” William Whipple Art Gallery, Southwest State U., Marshall, MN

Margeaux Kurtie Modern Art, Madrid, NM

Permanent Collection Loan, Main Library, Santa Fe Community College, Santa Fe, NM

Gallery Bergelli, Larkspur, CA

1212 Gallery, Burlingame, CA

2002 Art Alliance, New York, NY

“Continuity,” La Mama La Galleria, New York, NY

“Chromatic Intrigues,” Seton Hall University, Newark, NJ; curated by Stephen Sennott, director, City Without Walls, Newark, NJ

“The Insomnia Show,” City Without Walls, Newark, NJ; curated by Lori Field and Elizabeth Seaton, artists

Boston Corporate Art, Boston, MA

“All Dolled Up,” Suffolk Museum, Suffolk, VA and Ellipse Art Center, Arlington, VA; curated by Trudi Van Dyke, director, Ellipse Art Center and Nancy Kinzinger, director, Suffolk Museum

“Extraordinary Things:  A Study of Contemporary Art Through Material Culture,”  University Art Gallery, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN; curated by Kaz McCue, gallery director

Padulo Longstreth and Goldberg, Naples, FL

Margeaux Kurtie Modern Art, Madrid, NM

Gallery Bergelli, Larkspur, CA

2001 Art Alliance, New York, NY

Boston Corporate Art, Boston, MA

KLFine Arts, Highland Park, IL

Doll-Anstadt Gallery, Burlington, VT

“Go Figure,” Gallery Bergelli, Larkspur, CA

Steve Stein Gallery, Sherman Oaks, CA

2000 Brewster Arts Ltd., New York, NY

Art Alliance, New York, NY

“Emerge2000,” Aljira, Newark, NJ; curated by Richard Klein, assistant director, Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT

City Without Walls, Newark, NJ

“Extraordinary Things:  A Study of Contemporary Art Through Material Culture,” University Gallery, University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CT; curated by Kaz McCue, gallery director

Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum, Oradell, NJ

Doll-Anstadt Gallery, Burlington, VT

James Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA

KL Fine Arts, Highland Park, IL

“Latin Influences,” Gallery Bergelli, Larkspur, CA

Steve Stein Gallery, Sherman Oaks, CA

Galeria Dos Damas, Palm Springs, CA

1999 Brewster Arts Ltd., New York, NY

Art Alliance, New York, NY

Chamot Gallery, Jersey City, NJ

KL Fine Arts, Highland Park, IL

1998 Brewster Arts Ltd., New York, NY

Art Alliance, New York, NY

Chamot Gallery, Jersey City, NJ

“The Biennial at Ben Shahn Galleries:  Lines of Direction,” William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ

New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, Summit, NJ

1997 Brewster Arts Ltd., New York, NY

Chamot Gallery, Jersey City, NJ

“Realities III” and “Realities IV,” Art Alliance, New York, NY; and Fenton Moore Gallery, Buffalo, NY

New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, Summit NJ

1996 Brewster Arts Ltd., New York, NY

“Realities:  International  Contemporary Realism,” and “Realities II,” Art Alliance, New York, NY

New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, Summit, NJ

1995 “National Midyear Exhibition,” Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH

New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, Summit, NJ

1994 Gallery Juno, New York, NY

“Irene Leach Memorial Exhibition,” Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, VA

“American Drawing Biennial,” Muscarelle Museum of Art, Williamsburg, VA

1993 Andre Zarre Gallery, New York, NY

Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts, New Castle, PA

1992 “American Drawing Biennial,” Muscarelle Museum of Art, Williamsburg, VA

Harmon-Meek Gallery, Naples, FL

1991 Sumner Museum, Washington, DC

Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts, New Castle, PA

For the best art viewing experience, including priced works for sale, see Barbara Rachko’s work in the main gallery

Barbara Rachko’s Artist Statement

August 22nd, 2008

All of the pastel paintings use my West Village apartment or a 72-year-old Sears house in Virginia as a backdrop.  These are places where I live so the realities of my everyday surroundings are an essential part of the work.  Director-style, I select and arrange a group of folk art figures in a room in my apartment.  I light the scene using two or more tungsten studio lights to create dramatic, mysterious and unex­plainable shadows.  The setup is typically left in place for several weeks.  During that time, I work out placement, lighting, design, and, most importantly, a narrative about the interaction that is occurring between the “actors.”  (The narrative is often hinted at in the painting’s title).

When everything is ready, I shoot two color negatives with a 4″×5″ view camera.  Using a 24” x 20” photo­graph for refer­ence, I create a pastel painting of 58″×38″ in size (normally a three to four month process).  I also make smaller works (which also involve several months), but prefer the greater challenge of working in large format.  Blending with my fingers, I painstakingly apply dozens of layers of soft pastel onto the acid-free sandpaper.  My self-invented technique achieves rich textures and vibrant colors.  I believe I am pushing pastel to its limits, using it in ways that no one else has done.

For the best art viewing experience, including priced works for sale, see Barbara Rachko’s work in the main gallery

Barbara Rachko’s Artist Profile

August 22nd, 2008

Barbara Rachko was born in Paterson, New Jersey, a New York City suburb, and grew up nearby in Clifton. She graduated from the University of Vermont. After college, Barbara earned a commercial pilot’s license and Boeing 727 flight engineer’s certificate, then spent seven years on active duty as a Naval officer. In 1986 while working at the Pentagon, she began to study figure drawing and medical anatomy, and began many long years of developing her craft. Barbara subsequently resigned from active duty (but remained in the Navy Reserve and retired as a Commander) to devote herself to making art. On 9/11 Barbara’s life was turned upside down when her husband, Bryan Jack, was killed onboard the plane that crashed into the Pentagon. She began studying photography in the summer of 2002 mainly so that she could continue doing her pastels - Bryan had been the person who photographed her set-ups. Dividing her time between residences in New York and Alexandria, Virginia, Barbara enjoys a busy career as a professional artist. She is represented by five galleries throughout the United States, exhibits nationally and internationally, and continues to win accolades for her unique work.

For the best art viewing experience, including priced works for sale, see Barbara Rachko’s work in the main gallery