Robert Dampier
"As Within, So Without"
West Gallery
September 7 - October 29, 2019
Opening Reception
Saturday, September 7, 2019
6pm to 9pm
Artist Statement:
"The idea of taking what was considered junk, refuse, or outdated, and transforming those items into works of emotional response can only be described as a life-long obsession. As a self-taught artist, my work has evolved as I explore more complex creations and telling of parables / history.
I find inspiration in the objects around me. When something specific is necessary – it often arrives. It is as if the items themselves seek to be reborn and be revalued once more. There is a price that exists in a culture of obsoletion to take something discarded and re-envision what it could be or mean. I think of myself as an alchemist – transforming discarded items into art forms that have deeper meanings, new spirit, and endowing them with rediscovered appreciation. I apply this method to almost everything I do creatively as I am autodidactic and love to explore many processes / material combinations.
Finding order from the chaos of unrelated items for sculpture, painting, design, and assemblage is a constant challenge for me. These creations are really my attempt to tell the allegory of the soul. I prefer hearing the interpretations of others and what they see, rather than dictate what that should be. Born in Houston, and now living in Galveston, I wake up every day excited that I can create meaning from objects that have none."