Robin Rose, From Her to Eternity, 2011
encaustic on linen on aluminum hexcel panel, 30" x 24"

Robin Rose: THE BIG PAYBACK
November 12–December 23, 2011

Public Reception:  Saturday, November 12, 2011, from 6:30–8:30pm.

Each painting in Robin Rose’s newest body of encaustic work offers a unique experience, parallel to the experience undergone as the artist creates the work. Rose intends for the viewer to experience an initial moment of recognition upon first encountering his paintings. He anticipates the viewerʼs inclination to respond intuitively to visual stimuli and draw associations with familiar images, ideas, and feelings. Something familiar is suggested, without being literally revealed.

The paintings in The Big Payback are each associated with a piece of music by one of Rose’s musical heroes. These references can be loose or tight, in many cases revealing themselves only after the painting is complete. In “Kinda Blue”, a painting inspired by the Miles Davis album of the same name, ultramarine blue rings and dots swirl in a whirlpool-like formation. In "Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love", which references the song by They Might Be Giants, icy white threads radiate from the center of the composition, creating a raised heap of chaos where they intersect.

James Brown's 1973 double album and title track "The Payback" was originally slotted to be the soundtrack for a blaxploitation film called “Hell Up in Harlem.”  Rejected by the film’s director, Larry Cohen, for not being funky enough, the album was released by Brown and went on to be #1 on the Soul Albums chart. “Make It Funky/The Big Payback” was later used as the title for a James Brown compilation album.

Born in 1946 in Ocala, Florida, Robin Rose received his Master of Fine Arts from Florida State University. Roseʼs work has been exhibited in New York, California, and Washington, DC. His work has been widely collected by museums and private collectors, including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and The Phillips Collection.

HEMPHILL
1515 14th Street NW
Washington DC, 20005
202-234-5601
www.hemphillfinearts.com

GALLERY HOURS
Tuesday–Saturday, 10:00am–5:00pm, and by appointment 
Gallery will be closed on November 24-25-26 for the Thanksgiving Holiday