Evolution Commotion – oil, dye, stamps on canvas (48″ x 48″) a jaunty island of Dr. Moreau

Travel has also been a factor in my life. We were encouraged to get out and experience the world. Often I am amazed at how much freedom my rather conservative parents allowed us. Now, as a father of three adult children, I am shocked how the things I did so confound and alarm even me! I attended the University of Florence as a thirteen year old, worked as an archeologist’s assistant (in Greece) when I was seventeen, as an intern at the London Filmmakers Cooperative in my early twenties, a state supported poet in Holland, etc. I am sure this lifestyle motivated me to live and work around the world as a grownup. So London, Amsterdam, Greece, Portugal, Paris, or India was often my address.

TribeLA Magazine Acrostic Interview.2

[hoot_dropcap]Influence: What would you like to share with our audience and what effect do you hope to have on us?[/hoot_dropcap]
I see our human condition as both a cyclical and progressive thing. In order to become more humane, I sense that we must contact and revive our oldest stories and archaic symbols. My painting is a kind of dance told in form and color, which tries to awaken those recurrent impulses that we see throughout our history. I think potent myths are able to stimulate our collective imagination.

[hoot_dropcap]Back: If you could choose a past literary/art/music movement to be a part of, which would you choose?[/hoot_dropcap]
It’s hard to pick any extra special era of artistic movements for me.  I am very attracted to the Modernists. But, I also enjoy Gothic tropes where the imagery is flat and the intention is didactic and simplistic.  The Cycladic period greatly holds my gaze, and like many painters Neolithic cave iconography is fascinating and inspiring. Sometimes I wish I were ten years older so I could have experienced the 50’s in America. And then again, I think the scene in Zurich at Café Voltaire would suit me just fine.

Robert Soffian (born 1947, Philadelphia, Pa) is an emeritus professor of theatre, a director, painter and poet. He holds an MFA from the University of Virginia (1985) and BA in Cultural Studies/History from the University of Wisconsin in Madison (1969). For the almost 30 years he taught at Shasta College in Redding, CA. Soffian has directed, designed lights, created mis en scen, and experimented with digital projected scenery for well over 100 plays. As a producer, he ran two theatres: Century Hall and the Metropole Theatre (Milwaukee, WI). Soffian has curated dozens of exhibitions, ballet, opera, performance art, and music events. (He is credited with having discovered the Violent Femmes).

Contact Robert at the following links:
Website: RobertSoffian.com
Insta: robertsoffianart
Facebook: robertsoffianart

Previous works by Robert Soffian as Artist of the Week

The bold expressions of Robert Soffian kicks off ART TODAY’s “Artist of the Week”

ART TODAY 01.29.18 Eros and Psyche by Robert Soffian – Acrostic Interview starts today