Robin Rose

In each major city around the world there are a limited number of artists in that city's art scene who can be best described as "firsts among equals," in the sense that their presence and influence goes beyond just being a painter or a sculptor, etc. to being a major part of that city's art tapestry.

Such an artist for the Greater Washington, DC region is Robin Rose, and although I haven't seen the show yet (but I will), I am hearing some good things as well as surprise, from his current show at The American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center.

Titled Robin Rose: Cypher, the exhibition opens today, and there will be an artist's reception on April 23 from 6-9PM. The show will remain on view through May 17, 2009. The show at AU is concurrent with Robin Rose: Endeavor at Hemphill Fine Arts, which represents the work of Robin Rose.

The reason that his AU show is raising eyebrows from those who have seen it (someone described it to me as "out of the box!") is that what AU has on display (described as "aggressively altered found object assemblages") is so different and so very far from Rose's well-known and beautiful abstraction, that people are doing a double take.

I am also told that a lot of it is just plain funny!

I have never hidden my opinion that artists should always explore all facets and experiences and visual offerings of their artistry, rather than just deliver cookie-cutter art based on one concept.

I love seeing a single Mondrian, but lose interest when I see a dozen of them all in one room.

The way to see Robin Rose in the next few weeks is to visit his show at AU to discover this new side of this influential artist, and then drop by Hemphill Fine Arts to see what's new with his well-known encaustic on aluminum panel paintings.