Prince – Kiss

Robert Robinson was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1953. Growing up in the ’50s in Middle America, the third of four children, Robinson’s life mimicked a Norman Rockwell painting in many ways. Church on Sundays followed by a big dinner at Grandma’s house, “fighting” with his brothers and a solid sense of family and self, instilled by the deep love his parents felt for their children, was the norm for his family.

Robinson’s art is known for its high energy and mixed-media abstraction. The image is secondary to Robert; rather, he manipulates the medium and that is the part of art that intrigues him. Painting is a very physical thing for him as he typically paints quite large spaces, including installation art. Red Haired Girl, Incident and Souvenir, which was purchased by the Carnegie Museum, are some of his best known works. Currently painting on tar paper, the black scratch lines he creates are framed with difficult-to-design and labor-intensive carbon steel frames. The result is an elegant, symbiotic relationship between the two media and a powerful, while at the same time, delicate art form. Consumed as he is with his art, Robinson also enjoys spending time with his two sons. Both boys are very artistic, and Robinson revels in watching both of them grow in their artistic endeavors. Bonsai gardening is another favorite pastime. And, as he continues to search for new expression in his artistry, Robinson probably has surprised himself by the fulfillment he has found teaching art to adults at the university level.