“Endurance/Disappearance” by Robynn Smith
Robynn Smith “Endurance/Disappearance”
As a long time printmaker I have always approached print exhibitions with a great deal of anticipation. Knowing that I will see some fantastic images manifested within the demands of this invigorating discipline. Viewing prints entail enjoying the art, both for the visual statement put forth, but also the techniques typically involved in getting that statement pulled from the matrix. My bias extends to the transition of an artist’s idea into a finished work that combines creative insight with the technical manipulations that Printmaking often requires. However, that bias has to be suppressed in order to appreciate what is important to the artist, the finished work on display. I was impressed with the quality and strength of many of the entrants this year. That made it all the more difficult choosing the first prize and three honorable mentions. At first glance I moved from one possible winner to another, but in the end made my final choice. The other winners presented a strong body of work that merited my attention and admiration.
Like many of Robynn Smith’s landscapes, one is struck by her vision and mood created in her submissions. There is the horror and desolation of the two images of Mariupol, or the anticipation of riders preparing for another adventure that grabbed my attention. However, it was “Endurance/Disappearance”, intaglio/monotype that I focused on. What is going on in this landscape? Intrigued by her ability to construct a somewhat complicated narrative, whether obvious to the viewer or residing in the mind of the artist, there is a compelling assembly of components in this composition that intrigues this viewer. I was struck by the creation of this fantastic landscape. I immediately began trying to decipher the scenario that was before me by analyzing the components in this elaborate scenario. First there is the seemingly incongruous foreground comprised of the ubiquitous urban pigeons, then we move into the collection of figures busily going about their work tending to these intriguing containers of concrete or stone now filled with a palette of colors. But focusing in a little closer I see what looks like wrapped forms-bodies? What is going on? The “Endurance” may refer to the ongoing existence of our feathered friends moving on with their lives while we mortals need to deal with the colorful containers of our own lives. Is the “Disappearance” alluding to the ultimate change that will manifest itself with the endurance of animals and the existence of humans busy with the colorful palette of our lives? No matter what the truth may be, this compelling image suggests a myriad of different interpretations that only the artist can affirm.
— Peter Baczek