By STEVEN JUPITER
RUTLAND—All art is, on some level, an outward expression of an artist’s inner world—how that artist sees, feels, and thinks. The artist takes in their environment, processes it, and presents it to the public, with the hope that it will resonate and cause people to see the world even just a little bit differently.
Robert Black’s new show at the Chaffee in Rutland—“The Art of Life”—is precisely such a window into a restless mind. Constantly looking, seeing, perceiving, Black has filled the first-floor gallery with photos, collages, drawings, books, and even bricks, all with seemingly one goal: to get viewers to stop and consider the world around them.
“I don’t pretend to be an artist,” said Black. “I’m a guy who sees the world.”
Now, Black is indeed an artist, as the work in the show confirms. He may examine the world, but he expresses his findings with great charm. The photocollages in the show, for example, display a keen aesthetic. They may examine the confluence of the manmade and natural worlds, with architectural and even spiritual elements juxtaposed with botanical imagery, but they also work on a purely visual level.
A trained and still-practicing architect, Black has long been preoccupied with the clash of humans and nature.
“My story is man vs. nature,” he said. “How do they come together? There really isn’t a separation.”
An entire wall in the gallery is given to photographs of bricks, with some of the actual articles on display as well. For most people, a brick is an object so mundane as to be invisible. For Black, it becomes a symbol of humans’ ability to bend the natural world to their will. A card next to these photos reads:
“I am inspired by the symbolism of a single brick in symbiosis with thousands of others. The clay used to make bricks is a common material—found all over the world and was used by diverse cultures across history.”
Black writes in his artist statement, “the world unfolds as a rich tapestry of images dancing in light and shadow, texture and form. I aspire to share this ‘earthly cosmos’ through my photographs and collages.”
And to put this philosophy into practice, there are photos of swirling water patterns that absolutely recall something cosmic yet are absolutely rooted here on earth. The same holds true for Black’s close-up shots of flowers, getting up close as if an intergalactic explorer reporting on a previously unseen life form.
“You can see what turns me on,” he said. “I want to know what turns you on, too.”
Much of his exuberant life, he says, has been a reaction to his sober Lutheran upbringing in the Midwest and the show also includes mementos from his own journey as an artist: drawings, collages, and other items Black created from childhood on. A native of Wisconsin, Black had a 4th-grade art teacher—Miss Drumm—who taught him to “look outside the box.”
For those who’d like to learn how to “look outside the box” as well, Black is offering an extensive array of classes, workshops, and talks at the Chaffee during the run of the exhibit. A lifelong teacher, Black is eager to expand others’ ability to connect with the world around them. The classes are designed “to explore the richness of the human experience” and will involve hands-on activities. More details can be found at Chaffeeartcenter.org.
“The Art of Life” runs through March 1, 2024 at the Chaffee Art Center at 16 South Main Street in Rutland. Visit chaffeeartcenter.org for more information.
