With the Day of Learning in Community fast approaching, Northwestern has begun to put together displays to fit this year’s theme, The Art of Courage.
Eric Robinson, an artist based out of Des Moines, will have work featured at the Te Paske gallery in NW’s Korver Arts Center. Robinson’s work, composed primarily of woodcut prints, is a series of the same image with varying textures, colors and text.
Robinson’s artwork, inspired by his Christian faith, seeks to tell stories based on what he sees modeled in life. Through observing the ways in which natural creation — trees, mountains, seas — change from day to day, Robinson hopes to find perception. Similarly, Robinson works toward discovering how human expression changes in varying scenarios.
In creating variations of one image, Robinson seeks to understand one piece from many perspectives.
“Making variations helps me to understand the content of my work as from many viewpoints,” Robinson said in his artist statement. “A genuine dialogue occurs between me and the artworks as I alternate making and viewing them.”
Robinson said he hopes to create meaning by choosing subjects that are a concern to people. He chooses subjects such as morality, time and the works of God in hopes that relationships will be better emphasized.
Of particular concern to Robinson is the relationship between text and image and how God makes himself known and conceals himself simultaneously.
The show on display at NW consists of three walls of work, two in which Robinson takes one image and recreates that same image using different textures and colors. The third wall consists of a number of square tiles, with each one presenting a different image.
When the theme for the Day of Learning was announced, the art department got together to begin brainstorming different artists who would fit the day’s theme best.
“Eric Robinson had shown his work here before during the 2010-11 school year,” said Emily Stokes, art professor. “Phil Scorza was here the last time Robinson showed his work on campus, so he got in contact with (Robinson). Fortunately, he had work ready in time, so it worked out pretty well.”
The art department hopes this show brings new people into the gallery and promotes viewers to spend time with the pieces presented.
“The average person spends about fifteen seconds looking at a piece of art, so we’re hopeful that because this is pretty richly detailed, that people will look and wonder how he did it,” Stokes said.
Robinson will be on campus for an opening ceremony next week. An opening gallery reception will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the Te Paske Gallery during the Day of Learning.
Robinson’s artwork will be displayed on campus until Feb. 20.
