Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Dluzen.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was born and raised in Southeast Michigan, and I came to Chicago ten years ago for graduate school at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. For the past 13 years, I’ve been making work about the same thing: my family’s labor history, and how that relates to the landscape of Midwest.
When I was 19 years old, an undergraduate at Adrian College in Michigan, my dad told me a story about when he was the same age at the same college in the mid-1970s. When he was 19, he left college for a year to work in an iron foundry to make enough money to finish his degree. He told me that he wished he could paint, because no one would believe what it looked like inside that foundry. So, I decided I would paint those pictures.
Initially, I made oil, encaustic and collage works that illustrated that specific story. Later, my practice widened to include the stories and experiences of other members of my family, including, most recently, my mother.
Please tell us about your art.
In some recent series, I’ve been re-drawing drawings created by my parents. I’ve enlarged and re-drawn doodles my dad made while describing the iron foundry where he worked, as well as botanical drawings made by my mother during her 30 years as a horticulturalist. In these works, I faithfully re-draw their gestures, even down to my mother’s signature. My family is not just my subject matter –they’re active collaborators.
We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
My life as an artist, art critic and curator is actually overly social! It’s crucial that anyone intending to be a professional artist or arts worker gets involved in the wider art community.
Chicago has over 300 venues that exhibit art, and they all have exhibits, receptions and events that are open to the public… and they want you to come! There are two main sources for finding out when and where these openings are happening: The Visualist and Chicago Gallery News. Start attending these events regularly, and you’ll quickly become part of an art community.
Secondary to getting social IRL, artists need to be active on social media. And don’t just use your Instagram feed to pump out images of your own work… make it a two-way street. Post pictures of and share articles about art and artists you care about. The simple act of sharing on social media is a gesture that galleries and artists really appreciate, and they’ll likely support you in return.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I’ve got an upcoming exhibition at ORBIT (https://www.facebook.com/events/236440876911856/), an alternative space run by my dear friends and colleagues Linda Dorman and Tom Torluemke. This exhibition, called “Anthology,” marks the first time my work is accompanied by the creative output from members of my family.
In this exhibition, my mother’s botanical illustrations, my father’s handmade Windsor chairs, my late grandmother’s self-taught oil paintings, and my great-grandmother’s hand-stitched quilt are exhibited along with recent pieces of mine based on my mother’s drawings. “Anthology” illustrates the multi-generational aesthetic link amongst a family of makers.
More of my work can be seen on my website: robindluzen.com
Contact Info:
- Website: robindluzen.com
- Instagram: @robindluzen
- Twitter: @robindluzen
- Other: http://robindluzenwriting.tumblr.com/
Image Credit:
Images courtesy of Robin Dluzen
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