Robert is a professor at Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts, but he is by no means purely an academic. His projects an incessant curiosity fascinated with the human and natural landscape. "I grew up on a farm and I could really identify with landscape," said Robert.
Human landscape
Robert makes a list of all the first times he's had in his life. In his First Time Project (FTP), he inventories the many firsts that led him to where he is now.
The project began during a low in Robert's life. "I was unemployed and living on a beach in LA. I asked myself, 'How did I get here?'" To answer this question, he listed all the firsts that he could remember from as far back as kindergarten. Though no longer in the same situation, he continues the tradition by updating the list once or twice a year.
The first time going to a hockey game.
The first time being propositioned by a friend of family's wife.
The first time not wanting to admit artist status.
Pivotal firsts are all laid out for any careful reader. He gives the words "read like an open book" new meaning.
P.S. I'm also told The Unraveled Web will be part of that list. First time in a social experiment, I see.
Nature
Robert is also landscape artist, but he's never picked up a brush. Using sand taken directly from the dunes and industrial floor fans, he makes way for Mother Nature's style.
Inspired by a shimmering Mojave desert, he bought sacks of sand and installed fans to shape it, but the experiment failed. "The Home Depot sand didn't know how to be a sand dune," explained Robert. The coarse, manufactured sand could not compare with the fine texture of naturally worn grains. So, Robert hauled sand from Las Vegas and let nature do the sculpting.
Over 12,000 pounds of sand and 42 fans were put in a room at Huntington Beach Art Center last year to create a mesmerizing and ever-changing landscape. Robert has done similar installations in Flight 19, Florida and Fringe Exhibitions, Los Angeles.
Connecting the Dots:
2 comments:
Cool! ;) I like the first time project idea, I should do it in a small scale ;) ~りん
Yeah, I thought it was great too :) You should do that, then I can see your life read out like a story :)
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