Art Lies, Volume 23, Summer 1999 Page: 41
60 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Riley Robinson
Raychelle Schaudies
ART MUSEUM OF SOUTH TEXAS
CORPUS CHRISTI
by Elizabeth B. ReeseAs I enter the lower gallery at the Art Museum
of South Texas, I encounter a unique juxtapo-
sition. On the ground before me are two
human-sized sculptures. On the walls that
envelop me are twelve large paintings. I survey
the works and their environment, and then
contemplate what I observe and experience.
The forms and images incite questions.
Indeed, reflexive conversations emerge from the
individual works of art as well as from the instal-
lation as a whole. San Antonio artist Riley
Robinson created the sculptures. Former
Corpus Christi artist and art educator Raychelle
Schaudies created the paintings. To relate some
of the questions I encounter, I will explore the
exhibition from three different perspectives:
perceptual, cultural, and institutional'.
Perceptual: What I see
Riley Robinson's sculptures are deliberately
and skillfully constructed forms that evoke a
sense of function. Plumbing is a steel outhouse
with numerous white, ceramic plungers
tumbling out of its slightly open door. It
suggests, perhaps as the artist alludes, frustra-
tion and futility. Robinson's other sculpture,
Helix, includes a large, wooden, tubular struc-
ture with a woven aluminum ball resting just
outside the winding cylinder. This single-helix
structure is constructed from what appears to
be tiny sections of particle board that are
layered with precision. This process results in
a smooth, sensual, and almost glassy surface.
"Pressure, pleasure, pain, beauty, arousal,
comfort, conformity, uncertainty, absorp-
tion." Schaudies uses these words to describe
the human condition. She then translates and
articulates these concepts through a
perplexing web of images and text. Layers of
color-sometimes thick or dripping, some-
times excessively combined or precisely
minimal-fill each canvas. Loosely and
expressively-drawn images of the human
figure-from the ancient Venus of Willendorf
to the contemporary Barbie doll-are mind-
fully juxtaposed with contemporary signs and
symbols. One such frequently used sign is a
screw. Schaudies employs these images overand over and over as if to mimic the repeti-
tion that media and advertising use to
construct and disseminate human values and
standards.
Cultural: Information the work brings to me
For me, the sculptures and paintings in this
exhibition inspire more questions than
answers. Such dynamics engage. Robinson's
sculptures ask the viewer what personal
connections he or she can construct to and
from his works. This may occur as his forms
seem to resonate from personal and human
experiences. Of course, Robinson uses the
sculptures to suggest his own contemplations
about the past, the future, the role of tech-
nology, and our efforts as human beings. Yet
he also supports-indeed encourages-the
meanings that others might make.
Appropriately, Robinson states about
Plumbing, "It may evoke any number of valid
associations in the viewer's mind ..."
On the other hand, Schaudies uses painting to
embody her own questioning process. These
"ponderings" include centuries of culturally
reproduced ideologies regarding what it means
to be female, beautiful, and confident.
Although Schaudies works in
numerous other media, she
deliberately chooses acrylic. It
is a safer, more environmen-
tally-friendly material than
the oil paint used for
hundreds of years by her
European and American male
counterparts to objectify
women. Consequently, she
covertly appropriates similar
authority as she challenges
normative beliefs about
gender and power.
Institutional: The location affects experience
and meaning
The lower gallery at the Art Museum of South
Texas provides an intimate space to muse
on these objects and images. Indeed, the
installation itself encourages immersion. Thisinvitation begins with the number of works
that each artist submitted (Robinson's two and
Schaudies' 12) and continues with the order of
the paintings: the more tempestuous works
lead viewers to the more subtle images. The
diagonal placement of the sculptural objects
also lure visitors into the enclosed space.
With minimal wall text and without any
accompanying programs with Robinson and
Schaudies, this exhibition most likely will
draw experienced viewers who are comfort-
able with contemporary art. Accordingly, this
exhibition may render itself ineffectual for
many novice viewers. This is unfortunate. For
these sculptures and paintings are informa-
tive examples of techniques and issues that
artists have visually expressed and debated
throughout history. Moreover, these are topics
that human-kind continues to grapple with
every day. O
'This particular process and accompanying perspectives for
engaging with art exhibitions was developed collaboratively by
Charles R. Garoian, Ph.D. and me.Riley Robinson
Plumbing, 1999
Steel and ceramic
Photo: Courtesy of the ArtistARTLIES SUMMER 1999 41
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Lightman, Victoria H. Art Lies, Volume 23, Summer 1999, periodical, 1999; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth228053/m1/43/?q=%22Bryant%2C+John%22: accessed May 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .