Gallery Assignment - James Robie - Essay Example

Charles O. Godornes 27 March The Art of James Robie James Robie is a very well rounded artist. His art does not focus on paintings alone but also in sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs and graphic designs. James Robie comes from a family of craftsmen, thus it clearly shows that artistry runs in the family. His father is a precision tool builder and his grandfather and great grandfather were stonecutters. James Robie had a very strong educational background, in 1963 – 1965 he studied at State University of New York at Buffalo, then in 1966 – 1968 he studied at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and in 1968 – 1970 he studied with fellow artists Lester Johnson, Al Held and Jack Tworkoff who graduated bachelor in fine arts and masters in fine arts at Yale University Graduate School and Architecture.

Robie also experienced working at a tooling company where he learned plaster casting and also worked as an apprentice to a wood pattern maker and fabricating prints. His educational background and experiences taught him different approaches and different discipline to his tremendous art. This leads me to his piece “Mighty Hero”, 2010, oil and gesso on canvas, 20” x 30” that was displayed in a simple, spacious, clean and well lighted gallery of California State University Northridge. While looking at the said piece, the first thing I noticed was that there was no focal point on the art which made me categorize the piece as an abstract art.

So I viewed the piece through my feelings and visual perception. I saw the art as a horizon of different worlds of different energies, represented by the strong lines and edges that were illustrated on the piece. I also felt fear, sorrow, rage and terror while looking at the art, because of the intensity of the colors used which was very strong and the way it was brushed giving the piece so much drama. It made me look back on the devastating war in Libya and the catastrophic earthquake in Japan.

As a viewer, I was moved by his art and how his illustration made me feel. Another work of James Robie which is “Summer Day” gave me a different mood, a different feel, and a different perception on the art, and it also reminded me of my childhood days. This art inspired me to relive my childhood moments, to bring back the kid in me, to have fun, to play and to be carefree. This piece illustrates a sense of freedom, friendship and playfulness shown by the shapes and the presentation of the art.

The color balance is consistent, giving the viewer a peaceful perception and allowing the viewer to connect more to the art. The brightness and contrast of this piece is accomplished in a natural manner making it easy for the viewer to move through the images of the piece. Moving forward, I was very intrigued by the next piece, he named it the “Shrine”. It is very different from the other two artworks I have viewed previously; the “Shrine” is wooden sculpture that was displayed on an elongated desk, making it appear to stand like a trophy.

While viewing this beautifully sculptured wood, I also saw it as a trophy (like how it was displayed) of a man’s success in life and in his passion for art. The sculpture has very strong edges with an x shaped figure on top of the artwork, making me the viewer feel strong, dominant and persistent. In my perception, I think James Robie named it as the “Shrine” because it symbolizes an historical event in his life as an artist. I viewed the x figure on top of the artwork as a marking that he has reached the top of his journey.

This artwork may just look like a piece of wood to people who are not passionately into art, but for artists and art enthusiast, it is a symbol of an historical event that happened in an artist’s journey of life. In my experience of viewing the art of James Robie, I have encountered different emotions; I was extremely impressed on how he made me feel by viewing his paintings and how he made me connect to his work of art. Upon leaving the gallery of California State University Northridge, I carry with me the experience and the highest of respect for such a brilliant artist.

Works Cited“Artscene”Artscenecal.2010. Art Ltd. 26 March 2011http://www.artscenecal.com/articles/608-james-robie“Artscene”Artscenecal.n.d.. Art Ltd. 26 March 2011http://www.visualartsource.com/index.php?page=listings&com=exdetail&eID=301405“James Robie”Web.me.com.N.d 26 March 2011http://web.me.com/jamesrobie/Site_3/Resume.html“California State University Northridge”csun.edu.N.d. 26 March 2011http://www.csun.edu/artgalleries/