Joan Robey "Expect the Unexpected"

“Fin de Cycle” Wire, Curtain Rings, Scrubbles, Broom 63” x 64” x 3”

Joan Robey exhibits her new series, “Expect the Unexpected”.

Vulnerability and aggression are inherent in mankind and the things we create, just as they are in the forces of nature. Joan Robey explores these concepts using the desert as her background. The desert is visually conflicting, pitting beauty and danger in the same arena. The foliage is dramatic yet sturdy and thrives in a harsh environment. Robey sees the desert as a perfect metaphor for the human condition. Like humans in our constructed environments, desert life thrives despite unfavorable odds. It requires resiliency and preservation to exist in such a setting.

Joan’s work parallels the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi which refers to an implicit sadness in discarded objects. Wabi-sabi juxtaposes transience and imperfection with a positive opportunity for re-use. Robey collects her materials with this tradition in mind, and views the remnants as reflections of past lives becoming new again. Robey is constantly evaluating relationships between items to ensure that her vision and statement are clear.

“In projecting human predicaments onto inanimate objects, I feel that I can objectify and articulate the human experience.” Life is full of contrast: movement and repose, tension and equilibrium, attraction and repulsion. These are the moments that define us. When looking at abstract pieces of art symbolizing these moments, we are able to see the irony of our circumstances. They become tolerable and even humorous. Robey’s pieces prior to this series were more industrial in material and concept however, “Expect the Unexpected” has taken a lighter and perhaps breathier tone, leaning towards a more poetic understanding of the desert.

Joan Robey is a self-taught mixed media assemblage artist. Her work is included in several collections, including the Peter Norton Family Trust and Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami. She has been exhibited in museums and galleries across the United States for fifteen years, ranging from exhibitions at the Denver Art Museum to the Orange County Museum, Newport Beach. Influenced by the art of Kandinsky, Serra and Neveloso, Robey is most noted for her juxtaposition of reclaimed and re-used objects.

“Hand to Mouth” Rubber Gloves, Metal Basket 24” x 26”x 7”

Vulnerability and aggression are inherent in mankind and the things we create, just as they are in the forces of nature. Joan Robey explores these concepts using the desert as her background. The desert is visually conflicting, pitting beauty and danger in the same arena. The foliage is dramatic yet sturdy and thrives in a harsh environment. Robey sees the desert as a perfect metaphor for the human condition. Like humans in our constructed environments, desert life thrives despite unfavorable odds. It requires resiliency and preservation to exist in such a setting.

Joan’s work parallels the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi which refers to an implicit sadness in discarded objects. Wabi-sabi juxtaposes transience and imperfection with a positive opportunity for re-use. Robey collects her materials with this tradition in mind, and views the remnants as reflections of past lives becoming new again. Robey is constantly evaluating relationships between items to ensure that her vision and statement are clear.

“In projecting human predicaments onto inanimate objects, I feel that I can objectify and articulate the human experience.” Life is full of contrast: movement and repose, tension and equilibrium, attraction and repulsion. These are the moments that define us. When looking at abstract pieces of art symbolizing these moments, we are able to see the irony of our circumstances. They become tolerable and even humorous. Robey’s pieces prior to this series were more industrial in material and concept however, “Expect the Unexpected” has taken a lighter and perhaps breathier tone, leaning towards a more poetic understanding of the desert.

Joan Robey is a self-taught mixed media assemblage artist. Her work is included in several collections, including the Peter Norton Family Trust and Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami. She has been exhibited in museums and galleries across the United States for fifteen years, ranging from exhibitions at the Denver Art Museum to the Orange County Museum, Newport Beach. Influenced by the art of Kandinsky, Serra and Neveloso, Robey is most noted for her juxtaposition of reclaimed and re-used objects.