Robin Schwartzman
Printmaking
schwa966@umn.edu
http://robinschwartzman.com
My creative research examines the production of leisure space, more specifically in the creation of artificial, idealized versions of reality. Encouraged by imaginative childhood memories and recent experiences as an amusement park employee, I create exaggerated fantasy worlds of contemplation and escape.
Drawing inspiration from carnivals, theme-parks, cartoons, children's books and playgrounds, these large-scale multimedia scenarios teeter the boundary between alluring and menacing. I utilize recognizable imagery, color, light and audio interactivity to spark the imagination.
My most recent installation, The Lonely Tree, is an immersive three-dimensional scenario inspired by cartoon landscapes. I combine sculpture and interactive technologies to promote exploration and discovery. Characters and events respond to touch, sometimes unexpectedly, with sound, scent and motion. By stimulating a variety of senses, I facilitate a new reality to this obviously falsified world.
Two of my most recent collaborations, Cake Celebration and the FantaShanty, are transcendent rooms encrusted from floor to ceiling by handmade sculpture and found objects. These spaces become sugar coated false realities saturated with color, texture and detail designed to over-stimulate the senses.
