Amy Robinson
Region: Pacific Coast
Amy Robinson utilizes multiple media in order to create work that engages the viewer in a dialogue surrounding contemporary society that they are inevitably involved in. Consumerism, politics, mental health - to name a few - are all issues that she addresses, be it on a subtle and intimate scale or by means of the unabashed on a sculptural scale.
Her "Dust Jacket" series employs the latter, the works depicting coded covers of first edition novels, whose painterly surfaces make no effort to diminish the craft of their making. These familiar yet cryptic paintings allow the viewer to both recognize and wonder at hidden meanings. By focusing on a particular theme in which she groups her dust jackets, Robinson is able to highlight shifting social and individual attitudes and the dichotomy between the two. Her works propose the notion that contemporary society is experiencing a certain deadening through increased comforts, easy entertainment and self-medication. She prompts the question; are we dulling and thus nullifying the anxieties of past generations that ultimately are the source of change, inspiration and creativity?