Robert Mars
In this exhibit he also has a collaboration piece with artist Jay West. I recently held a studio interview with Mars, (link below), and learned all about his creative profess and how these larger than life brilliant pieces came to fruition. His images evoke a vintage quality of design and pay homage to the idealized age of growth and hopefulness that was prevalent in the USA at the end of the Depression. A time before the internet and mobile technology, where information was not instantly available to millions and there was no such thing as instant internet celebrities, and instead people lived with the myth of the unique, untouchable and unforgettable personalities of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, Audrey Hepburn and Elvis Presley. Most recent images include Naomi Campbell, Martin Luther King, Basquiat, fashion models and my favorite consumerism piece of Louise Vuitton and a duo of skulls.By merging his own concept of personal idols with those of mainstream culture, Mars focuses on the Golden Age of American personalities. Artistically, he has always been fascinated with 1950’s and 60’s culture, and his early work reflects many of the architectural and mechanical icons from this era. Muscle cars, motels, logos and hulking monuments to the “modern” feeling of the time permeate his early canvases. Mars’ artwork has shifted toward the culture of celebrity and he is amazingly attuned to the fact that these instantly recognizable and larger-than-life personalities continue to resonate with contemporary American culture.
A graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York, Mars' eye for a distinct facet of American history is impeccable and his ability to manipulate the color and wordplay of vintage printed material has earned him reference with the likes of Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Richard Diebenkorn among other masters from the School of Pop.
Robert Mars and Julia Morris, Gallery Director in front of collage piece with Jay West (and below)
Mars, Morris and artist Jay West
Robert Mars’ artwork is exhibited worldwide including museum collections in Munich, Tokyo, Amsterdam, London, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, Paris, Aspen and Naples. See the current showing at DTR Modern at 458 Broadway in Soho, NYC.
To read my recent studio interview with Mars visit: http://artandfashionsalon.blogspot.com/2013/11/creativity-is-on-247-with-robert-mars.html
For more information visit: http://robertmars.com &
