Thursday, September 16, 2010

Art Now Robin Arsenault

My name is Mark Porcina and I am currently in the MFA program in Visual Arts at the University of Lethbridge. Part of my studies this semester is writing a blog that documents Art Now. This is a series of visiting artists at the University during the noon hour. Each artist presents a series of images for roughly an hour discussing their practice and experiences within the art community. As an emerging artist myself I enjoy this opportunity to hear how other colleagues are making it in the art world. I am new to the blogging world and hope to refine my reviews. I am always interested in hearing comments and responses to anything that peaks an interest.

 Robin Arsenault, was born in Grand Prairie Alberta and received her MFA in Scotland, and has exhibited both here and in North America and also Internationally. Her work predominately centers around four themes "Foley, Pathos, Abjection, and Failure." Robin does installation work, performance as well as drawing and text based images. Robin's work attempts to deconstruct  relations with people and group situations. Some of her work focuses on the " Uncomfortable situations in life." She is quick to point out her idea of accepting our failures, and  her work is somewhat satirical and humorous. Robin also is interested in engaging the audience through performance and theatrical pieces, Such as her piece "tapping your troubles away." It is a short two minute clip of a dancers legs tapping away to a nostalgic song. What makes this interesting is the video was filmed through a pin hole camera, which forces the viewers eye directly at the dancers legs. Towards the end one of the dancers legs breaks off and your left with the question, "is it really that easy to just dance life's troubles away?"  I found Robin's work very accessible through the imagery, and text she uses in her work. I find myself wondering whether or not I should laugh or cringe, as the images seem to always possess some sort of duel meaning.

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