Fire Behavior

Told in enigmatic washes of oil paint, Judith Skillman’s Fire Behavior is a painting that demands yet defies description. I have an affinity for fire in the artistic sense (I am not an arsonist!) because it is possibly the most abstract of natural forms, and it exists in a middle ground between human-made and naturally occurring. Fire has always been with us, but our ability to control it is perhaps the most critical milestone in humanities’ advancement. Oddly it is not represented in the art to the degree one would expect from such a fundamental element. I believe the lack of fire in art (with the possible exception of figurative painting) is that it is so abstract, fluid, and impressive that any attempt at representation would pale in comparison. Skillman has not only embraced this challenging subject but done so eloquently and masterfully.