SAAC hosts Louisiana sculpture and installation artist Tamara Robertson and her exhibition “Peace by Piece” to the Merkle and Price Galleries October 12 – November 28. There will be an artist’s reception on Saturday, October 14 from 6:00pm-7:00pm.
“Peace by Piece” is a mixed media sculpture exhibition using recognizable objects in an unexpected manner. Robertson has a passion for drawing, painting, and making sculptural objects from various miscellaneous items found in her living space and thrives on the influence of her surroundings, constantly seeking new adventures and stimulation in her home area. Found and ordinary objects, multiple repetitions of shapes, and circular and spherical forms inspire Robertson. Many of her materials and inspirations have come from travels across the United States as well as from the environment of the cypress woods surrounding her studio on the shores of Caddo Lake.
She responds to this stimulation by inventing unexpected techniques with traditional media, finding ways to make familiar objects attain a new form, acquiring new skills, and making each new work innovative in some way, “My work is fueled by a reaction to previous art works I have made. Therefore, you will find in my repertoire a contrasting variety of concepts such as rusted and shiny, light and heavy, angular and organic, delicate and rugged. I often extensively repeat shapes and objects, seeking to create a brand new, unique encounter with previously ordinary materials,” stated Robertson. “I hope each of my art works represents something familiar, but unexpected, echoing ordinary things and places while allowing for a mysterious encounter.”
Shreveport, Louisiana is where Robertson now calls home. However, while growing up in Houston, Texas, some of Robertson’s fondest childhood memories stem from a significant portion of those days spent at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. There, she learned about the great masters of art at an early age as well as planted the seeds for her future career in art.
Early in her career, Robertson worked as a graphic designer but hungered to work more in her art studio and less as a graphic designer. This led her to enroll in graduate school at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX where she studied art. Upon graduation, she took a full-time job teaching art on the college level. After several years of teaching, Robertson left that job and took the leap to work on art full-time in order to fully bloom as a sculptor and artist. Robertson feels that having the opportunity to work full-time on art has renewed her discovery and creative process.
“’Peace by Piece’ is a show I am very excited to have the opportunity to assemble for SAAC. Several of the artworks were pieced together during the Covid lockdown and helped me attain a sense of peace and sanity through the process. The ritual of creating was not only calming but also allowed me to meditate on new ideas for artwork, resolve existing visual riddles, and decide what to do with some of the unusual objects and balderdash I have collected through the years. I am thrilled to be able to install these art works in the generous gallery space of SAAC and see them at their full potential,” said Robertson.
After a yearlong journey of expansion and remodeling, join us at SAAC for Robertson’s reception during our “grand re-opening” weekend. For more information on the Tamara Robertson please visit her website tamararobertsonart.com.
