BRANCHES OF WORK: ARTIST Q&A WITH MARC ROBARGE
In discussing your recent work on your website, you note that the pieces are focused on two directions, one discussing life and death and the other commenting on cultural, societal, and environmental issues. What message do you hope people will take away when viewing these two themes together?
Yes, recently, my work took a new direction that incorporates mass produced, machined, or technological elements with the organic forms that have been the foundation of my sculptural vocabulary for years. I am at a point where both directions offer fertile possibilities for exploration and development, and both are rooted in a reverence for nature, so there is definitely common ground between them. During recent studio visits, viewers have responded strongly to both branches of work, and seem to appreciate the strong affirmation of the natural world in each. Some respond to the otherworldly quality of the biomorphic forms and others resonate with the pieces incorporating manmade objects. In some ways, maybe it depends on whether you are a dreamer or a pragmatist.
Also in your artist statement you “nod to the surrealists.” Which artists in particular inspired these recent works?
My nod to the surrealists is more conceptual than paying homage to any particular artist. Andre Breton’s surrealist manifesto talks about the importance of dreaming, and the rejection of pure reason as the ultimate way of knowing, I subscribe to the idea that there are many ways of knowing including imagination, intuition, somatic experience and the poetic expression of the unconscious. Breton also speaks of “two distant realities” united to create a new one; that concept informs the new work that lyrically combines mass produced everyday objects with organic forms to address contemporary issues. I also employ some surrealist tropes, such as taking ordinary items and placing them in a completely new, illogical, incongruous or unexpected context, yet in a way that somehow achieves a harmony between the parts.
What drew you to sculpture work, and how did you grow your skill in this medium?
Sculpture speaks to me in a spatial, visual, textural, and visceral way that resonates deeply in my bones. The various skills I’ve developed are an amalgamation of experiences, such as working in the wood shop as a boy, going to art school, working with various construction materials, and cross pollinating these techniques experimentally. The sculptures are composed of items I’ve collected, and often they relate to proportions of human anatomy. I love the process of making forms with my hands, manipulating the materials and considering how they relate to one another, the eyes, the heart and the gut. I’m communicating through channels of feeling and empathy with the media and listen to how my body responds to what I’m making. Hopefully, the work engages the viewer in a variety of modes, spatially, visually, emotively, intellectually, and physically.
You teach high school art, do you think your work is ever informed by the projects you give your students?
I teach a variety of art subjects and media in my high school faculty position, including entry level art, photography, and the International Baccalaureate upper level course. The discussions I have with my students are meant to be illuminating for them (at least that is the goal), but they are often illuminating for me as well. In addition to skills, techniques and principles of art, we talk about the creative process, what is important to them, events of the day, and how they can best express their concepts or opinions in visual terms. I get a window into their world, we share perspectives, and often the spark that is kindled ignites my fire as well as theirs. As Yeats said, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”