ROBERT MARS

"My new body of work strikes a balance between chaos and control. Employing concepts rooted in abstract expressionism, I begin with multicolored paint layers of loose and dynamic brushstrokes on vintage newspaper. Choosing to sometimes highlight and sometimes obliterate this record of events acts as rebellion to structure and order. The vintage newspaper is a bridge to the events of the past; anchoring the work in history. The dialogue between the layers of color; the events glimpsed through the paint; sets the palette for the final composition. To apply order to the chaos I precisely cut the painted newspaper into predetermined patterns. Based on traditional quilt patterns from American history, the mix of handcraft and the meditation of time contained in that often overlooked folk art, these tessellations echo the backgrounds utilized in my representational body of work. As I rebuild the composition I keep structure, composition, and color in mind. The process of discovery and sense of resolution is the result of reconstructing these compositions."

Robert Mars’ artwork chronicles an evolving fascination with the Golden Age of American popular culture and celebrates the icons of the 1950’s and 60’s by taking inspiration from this culture long past. Through the application of a rich color palette and tongue-in-cheek attitude, Mars’ paintings evoke a vintage quality of design and pay homage to the idealized age of growth and hopefulness that was prevalent in the USA at the end of the Depression. A time before the internet and mobile technology, where information was not instantly available to millions and there was no such thing as instant internet celebrities, and instead people lived with the myth of the unique, untouchable and unforgettable personalities.