Robin Stark

 

When I read the prospectus for The Honeycomb Project: A Metaphor for the interconnectedness, collaboration and strength found within a community, I felt an strong desire to be a part of this collection.

​My ceramic tile and painted wall pieces spring from a connection between thoughts and emotions I’m experiencing to something I see in the natural or manmade environment, which eventually I want to share with others. A visual narrative starts to develop in my mind with details unfolding over photographs I’ve taken and by doing multiple sketches.

​Combing two media I enjoy working with seemed a natural solution for this project. The ceramic tile images transform onto the wooden painted surface emphasizing different ways to portray the same thing. "The Golden Hour:” portrays a bird during that period of day just before the sun sets and the light is redder and softer. The light quality touches on something nostalgic and romantic. It is also a period of time lasting only 20-30 minutes, which suggest the ephemeral nature of certain things in life.

“Bird with Berries #3” portrays a bird in search of a red berry fruit. A harsh winter environment is accentuated by using only black and white with only the berries colored red. This piece can take on a literal or spiritual meaning by suggesting that even in the coldest season of the year when little sustenance is available, if one looks in the right place provisions or solutions can be found.

​My current sculptural artwork uses bird imagery to illustrate themes addressing contrasting and opposing viewpoints such as introversion/extroversion, loss/gain, freedom/confinement, and freedom/limitations. Finding a balance between opposing conditions is a challenge universal to the human population and can be meaningful to a diverse society.