Chance: Marsha Skinner

CHANCE Marsha Skinner

CHANCE

Marsha Skinner

Opening Reception: Saturday, May 23 | 2 - 5 PM

Exhibition Dates: May 23 - June 20, 2026

Introduction

203 FINE ART is honored to announce a solo exhibition of paintings by the notable and beloved Taos artist, Marsha Skinner (1944-2025). Embued with the natural world, Marsha Skinner’s adaptability in traversing a spectrum from deep reds to garden greens reflects the discipline she carried in her ability to letgo . Using oil, paper and canvas, the artist creates meditative works from the I Ching technique that are absent of intention and instead created by chance.

In the fall of 2025, Marsha Skinner left this earth and her longtime home in Questa, New Mexico, but not without a final surprise reflecting the mystery that had always surrounded this captivatingly kind-hearted artist. Before her death, she ensured all the paintings that remained in her possession were destroyed. Having a smaller, more thoughtful body of work to begin with means Skinner’s paintings are now rare to find and easy to treasure. We are pleased to have four newly acquired paintings that have remained in a private collection since 2005, which are now available to the public and are the highlight of this show.

Image: Portrait of the artist by Robbie Steinbach

#3/1999 , 1999

32 x 32 inches, oil on linen

Water , 2018

8.5 x 8.5 inches, oil on paper

I Ching

One of the oldest oracles exisiting today, the Chinese I Ching is used as a philosophical divination atlas to the inner workings of our world. The energies of Yin and Yang sit at the center of this philosophy, and practioners of I Ching read these energies to determine their next decision, whether personally or creatively. Marsha Skinner was not the only follower of this practice, as many young adults and celebrities of the 1960s turned to this sacred knowledge out of a rejection for their modern, Western world.

The gentleness, freedom and focus of the I Ching required a sacrifice of control when it came to the way Skinner painted and the way in which she lived her life. Giving up intention and instead finding fluidity, it was this life path of the I Ching that eventually led the artist to a deepening connection with the extraordinary writer, composer and visual artist, John Cage (1912-1992). Skinner collaborated with Cage and the Merce Cunningham Dance Company on the four major works of Beach Birds , ChangeofAddress , Enter and Ocean , thus solidifying her place in art history.

Dancing , 2022

20 x 16 inches, mixed media on paper

WinterPainting5 , 2005

12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

Mountains and Rivers #1 , 2003 36 x 36 inches, oil on canvas

Merce Cunningham Dance Company

Merce Cunningham Dance Company collaborated with many of the most influential artists of pop culture, including Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Morris Graves, and Marcel Duchamp. Merce Cunningham himself was known to seek out fine art exhibitions in search of set and costume design inspiration, which is where many of these relationships would begin.

The dance company’s eventual collaboration with the legendary composer, writer, and visual artist John Cage would become Marsha Skinner’s entry to the stage. Recognizing Skinner’s focus and orginality, as a fellow devout of the I Ching, it was Cage’s compositions that she would end up designing costumes for. Unitards of white bodies and black arms defined an emphasis on form and weightlessness, and are still used in the performances of Beach Birds to this day.

Image: Beach Birds , courtsey of Merce Cunningham Dance Company