Passing Glances: Sketches from the North Line | Mark Frisch
June 11, 2025 – August 31, 2025
Evanston Art Center, 1717 Central St, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
From the gallery: Duffy, my first EAC art instructor, told us we had to draw outside of class. So I took my sketchbook onto the North Line commuter train, determined to capture accurate portraits of unsuspecting passengers—while battling the quiet terror that one of them might catch me staring. At first, I was chasing likeness, trying to pin down faces with fidelity. But somewhere between Wilmette and Ogilvie, I let go of resemblance and leaned into something more interesting: drawings that were simply inspired by the riders themselves. These intaglio prints—done in drypoint and aquatint—reflect that shift. The North Line Series isn’t about who these people were, but how they emerged. It’s part of a larger practice: sketching faces, capturing memories, and creating images that reflect the truth - sideways.