Art Column (ART DBG)

Artist Statement: Breakfasts watching birds and excursions in fishing boats interlace with childhood memories and Looney Tunes influences. Images and thoughts tease each other, compose odd ditties, create mosaics of meaning. The vein of whimsy coursing through my work reflects an enjoyment balancing ceramic illusions with American cultural references. Manipulating clay and creating trompe-l’oeil glazed surfaces becomes my expressive outlet for these relationships. Interpreting the world in clay becomes a mirror of the confusion, delight, perplexity and excitement I feel about the odd turns a curious life takes. My references are designed to evoke shared memories and tickle a common ground. Biography: In 1963, Robin’s family moved to New York City where he was introduced to art and the contemporary work of the time. Several years later, the family returned to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where Robin grew up. He attended Louisiana State University, receiving his BFA in 1984. In 1988 he completed his MA in ceramics from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. He has shown his work throughout the United States and as far away as Auckland, New Zealand. Education: Ceramics Major, Master of Arts, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 1988. Ceramics Major, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, 1984.