Growing up in Nebraska, I'd always
planned on moving to New York to paint, but when I graduated college in 1966, a
foolish and addled road trip sidetracked me to San Francisco, where I've now
lived for half a century.
Except for 2012, when my wife and I relocated to
Manhattan for a year.
I quickly found a midtown studio which
fulfilled my childhood dreams, and it seemed only natural that my attention
would also turn to the art I'd been doing before I got waylaid by the West
Coast: small, minimalist sculptures; and paintings whose subjects were the Kennedy
era space program and the first French atomic submarine.
The French Secret,
34" x 48" acrylic and archival photo on paper on wood,
2013
Gemini,
34" x 48" acrylic and archival photo on paper on wood, 2013
I Am Big Heaven,
34" x 48" acrylic and archival photo on paper on wood, 2013
The works looked very different
from the non-objective, painterly work I'd been doing in San Francisco; they
included photo transfers and printouts from magazines of the time. (I had kept
them all those years!) I spent two years working on them, both in Manhattan and
later back in our home in San Francisco.
Jump Me,
34" x 48" acrylic and archival photo on paper on wood, 2013
The Photographer,
34" x 48" acrylic and archival photo on paper on wood, 2013
Mr. Nobody,
34" x 48" acrylic and archival photo on paper on wood, 2013
Probe,
34" x 48" acrylic and archival photo on paper on wood, 2013
Because they were so different from
what I'd been exhibiting, I showed them to very few people; they were my little
secret. But when Zeitgeist offered me a show this year, I immediately thought of
them. Zeitgeist had given me my very first shows, despite the fact
I had no record at the time and was known as an illustrator, not a painter. This would be
something similar: showing works that fell outside my comfort zone.
Included with the paintings above are five small painted wood sculptures; and in the backroom there are about a dozen smaller works with acrylic and transfer photos on wood.
Zeitgeist Gallery
05 March thru 30 April 2016
516 Hagan Street #100
Nashville TN 37203
615 256 4805
Tuesday - Saturday 11 - 5
Thanks for your interesting remarks and the works are really wonderful even though they are different from your non-objective pieces. Good Luck- Robert
ReplyDeletewww.robertstraight.com
Thank you, Robert!
ReplyDeletethe word Nebraska created a positive presence as I enjoyed your work. Born 1920 in North Platte, my working life was as an Art Director in SF. All good wishes and keep indulging that alternative side of your brain. Norall
ReplyDeleteThank you, Norall.
ReplyDelete