Robin Clare Contemporary Artist

I take my inspiration from urban environments looking for subjects that tell a story about the world I inhabit. Working from images I take of impermanent situations that I come across on a daily basis. My subjects are chosen initially for their humour and visual impact. However, underneath the surface is a reflection of society.

This body of work is made up of a series of very painterly paintings portraying discarded objects set in urban landscapes. The objects are reminiscent of our increasing desire to consume and update our interior private environments. The paintings venture to ask the viewer to reflect on the impact of this consumption and our ability to ignore the discarded. The objects often appear humorous and vulnerable, taken out of their natural domestic environments and placed in alien landscapes. They take on characteristics of other urban dwellers - rough sleepers, the homeless, beggars, dealers, prostitutes, johns, thugs, junkies and observers. The plight of these rejected objects identifies strongly with marginalization, allowing them to resonate on an emotional level. In the end we are brought back full circle to the understanding that they are just discarded objects.

It is my intention to manipulate the viewer in a similar fashion as artists like Norman Rockwell managed with emotional, hart tugging, "aww how cute" images. Allowing them to appeal initially on a visual and emotional level and later upon further reflection coming to an intellectual understanding.

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