Sculptor in Stone: Meet Artist Robin Antar- PREVIEW

When:
Fall 2020

Where:
Online Robin Antar website

Through combining iconic images and skillful sculpting techniques, Robin Antar has been producing pieces for over 20 years that describe the American experience through a lens of pop culture. And while it might be tempting to bite into one of her shiny sculpted hot dogs or carefully detailed OREO cookies, any hungry viewer would be met with a not-so-tasty surprise-- each piece is carved out of locally-sourced stone.  In the heated political climate of modern-day America, Picture This Post (PTP)  interviewed Robin Antar (RA) about the significance of her work, the warping American experience, and her next steps as she continues her work to capture the country in stone. 

[PTP] How does your upcoming exhibit reflect your thoughts and feelings about what it means to be an artist today?

(RA) The exhibit will include a brand-new series of sculptural works that represent America’s current political climate. 

This is a very important time in our history, with powerful events reshaping our country and the world, inspiring many artists to use their art to present their views and challenge public perceptions.

I believe in the ability of art to raise questions, like “Who are we?” and that’s a very important role for today’s artists. My work has always revolved around the question, “What is America?” which, for Americans, makes us contemplate who we are as a country as well as individuals.

What inspired you to use food to symbolize American culture?

When I think of America, I think of comfort food. Condiments such as mayonnaise and ketchup are staples in many American restaurants and diners - although I’ll  admit I don't like condiments and don’t even have them in my house! For these works of art, I am simply "the artist as observer" of American culture. The food series looks at America's past, present and future. Some of the logos, for example, are the older "classic" versions. 

Do you think it is important to exhibit political works now? Why?

Yes, it’s important because today’s politics are impossible to ignore. We are in an era of great change and national and international politics are a major driving force. 

For over two decades, I’ve been exploring “What is America?” through American contemporary culture. I focus on American comfort food like a ballpark frank, a bottle of Heinz ketchup or a plate of OREO cookies. I’ve also carved American-made work boots, a denim jacket, and cowboy boots which have all become strong symbols of the American way of life, both perceived and real. 

When Donald Trump entered the political arena, I started asking, “What is America Now?”, because I saw it changing. I carved a larger-than-life replica of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” golf cap in white marble after seeing the white MAGA cap Trump wore on the 2016 campaign trail which, for me, symbolized the beginning of this major shift in politics.

What do you want viewers to experience or understand about the work you are exhibiting in this exhibit?

Although my new work seems politically engaged, I approach my subjects as an observer: I do not take a political side, I am simply recording history, allowing the viewers to draw their own conclusions about how the work makes them feel. 

I had posted an image of the white MAGA cap sculpture on Instagram after Trump won the election and was surprised by the strong reactions I received. The photo’s caption simply read, “Hand carved marble hat. American history recorded in stone.” My followers lashed out with politically-charged comments, numerous un-follows and some even blocked my page. 

I responded to them in the same way I respond about any of my work: I am only recording history, nothing more, nothing less.  My art offers the viewer the chance to decide if they want to celebrate or critique the sentiment they perceive is being presented.

How did you get started as a sculptor?

I took a sculpture class as a junior in high school and fell in love with it. I had never done art before and here I was with other kids who had been creating art their whole lives. I did 20 sculptures in 6 months.

I created a workshop in my parents’ house; worked through all hours of the night. My father would come down to my studio at 3 o’clock in the morning to remind me to go to bed.

I could take raw stone - no model, no nothing - and create anything that came to mind. Whatever mood I was in, I would just let it out in stone. It wasn’t decorative. It was strictly expressionistic, but I always produced a form that “worked.”

The early years of my artistic practice were spent in expressionism, with forms visualized from the inside out, rather than the outside in. I began exploring realism in the late 1990s.

What materials and processes do you use in your work? Why?

I sculpt in stone that comes from quarries throughout the US and around the world. 

Most of my work is carved in marble, travertine, onyx, calcite, limestone and alabaster. 

Some of the stone, such as honeycomb calcite from Utah, is used specifically for its natural color, such as the fries in my hamburger sculpture, Summer Barbecue.

Limestone is used for work I want to color with custom stains, which allows me to control the mood of the piece. The stains are created through a special tinting process I developed 40 years ago to duplicate the color of almost any product I choose to replicate for my realism pieces.

The sculpting process is very physical, with diamond blades and high-powered air hammers used to cut and chisel the stone. The sanding process is very labor-intensive and done by hand, using multiple diamond grits to achieve an exceptionally smooth finish. 

Although it’s hard work, the physical nature of my creative process allows me to infuse each piece with all the forces at play. Joy, heartache or rage simply adds more fuel to the fire. The result is a work of art in stone that is alive.

Please tell our readers about your work inspired by the September 11 events.

“North Tower 9/11” was carved after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. As I had been living and working in Brooklyn, NY for decades, the event affected me deeply. I was thinking, what is America, what could I carve in stone that would represent this event that forever changed America? I wanted the piece to transcend the obvious symbols of the Twin Towers or the American flag. To me, America is comfort food and fun, so M&M's became the perfect representation for America in this sculpture.

Why did you create the Trump MAGA hat piece?

In contrast to the now-popular red MAGA hat, Donald Trump wore an earlier version of the golf cap, which was white, during his 2016 presidential election campaign. To me, it represents the turning point in America’s political environment. 

He first wore the white version, so that’s what I chose to represent this shift.