John Thornton interviews and discusses Robert Birmelin in his latest video, Robert Birmelin’s Life in Art before his upcoming exhibition at the Stanek Gallery in Philadelphia (reception on Saturday, March 4)
Robert Birmelin, who will turn 90 in November, is a major American artist known particularly for his paintings of New York City crowds. In Philadelphia, he is represented by the Stanek Gallery. I wrote an extensive interview with Robert Birmelin a few years ago that you can read here, interview-with-robert-birmelin.
Robert Birmelin has been a hugely important figurative painter showing at many leading galleries, from the Stable Gallery in New York City in the 1960s to the Peter Findlay Gallery in the early 2000s. Throughout his long career, Birmelin has had numerous solo exhibitions and critical reviews in leading publications, see (see robertbirmelin.com here for his website)
Robert Birmelin, Suburb (Reversible),2002. Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48 inches
The Stanek Gallery press release states:
His prolific and expansive practice utilizes various mediums and covers many themes, including real estate, crowds, time, divergent relationships, disruptions, and multiple perspectives. The works gathered in “Conversations with the Other” express the sentiment of an outsider looking in on scenes with several areas of focus rather than a single focal point. They dare the viewer to look and then look again to find the disruptions within the original narrative.
An online exhibit of the work can be viewed from this link.
RSVPs are required to access the gallery, you can register for the event by contacting Stanek Gallery.
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Painting Perceptions was started in 2009 by Larry Groff to promote the ideas, practice and experience of painters working from observation in a modernist vein from around the world through interviews, essays, videos and community. It later evolved to include imagination-based and abstract painting as well.
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