“Collusions” is really a misnomer for referring to this series of collaborative works by Peter Liashkov and Don Saban.  Rather than deceptively plot some devilish undertaking, the two artists have actually practiced the art of compromise. The project began with each sending the other images of their existing art. Liashkov, who works in several media, selected collages and drawings and, for good measure, he threw in pages from a stamp collection album. Saban, a photographer, opted for mostly portraits, along with a few figural, architectural, and landscape scenes. Each then went to work altering the imagery, Liashkov embellishing photocopies by hand, and Saban manipulating digital versions on a computer. Over time, they sent their revisions back and forth, making additional changes along the way, until both were in agreement that a work was complete. The result is a series of compelling digital collages that includes several psychological portraits and a number of tributes to people, places, and architecture. In the end, the collaboration synthesizes the handmade and the technological, while striking a fine balance between the emotionally charged temperament of Liashkov’s characteristic style and the more calculated clarity of Saban’s typical photographic oeuvre.   

David S. Rubin

December, 2023

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