My Non-Traditional Portraits

I was asked to write about my coats and purses for an issue on Portraits. You can find my Portraits article here: “Purple Coats, Purses, and People: My Non-Traditional Portraits.” The entire “Portraits and Beyond” issue is a wonderful read! Notably, The Maine Arts Journal is published quarterly by the UMVA as an online publication. Please consider subscribing if you enjoy learning about what’s going on in the art community in Maine.

Magical Purse of Dreams and Memories, 12″ x 9″, A non-traditional portrait in mixed media collage on paper, mounted to panel, 2023, private collection.

My Portraits Article–The self-reflective process of writing about my art

It’s one thing to write about someone else’s artwork, but writing about one’s own work poses unique challenges. So when I began to write my Portraits article, I thought about how I understand my own process. Interestingly, being invited to write on this topic for the journal helped me to clarify my thinking and explain to both myself and my readers where this body of work comes from.

Veronique Plesch, editor of the UMVA Journal, with Robin and John, a friend and art collector at the recent UMVA Gala in Bowdoinham.

Feminist and quietly subversive art

In my Portraits article, I opened with this quote: “Feminist artists sought to create a dialogue between the viewer and the artwork through the inclusion of women’s perspective. Art was not merely an object for aesthetic admiration but could also incite the viewer to question the social and political landscape, and through this questioning, possibly affect the world and bring change toward equality. As artist Suzanne Lacy declared, the goal of Feminist Art was to “influence cultural attitudes and transform stereotypes.” The Art Story

This portrait of her Aunt Fannie at 90 is an example of one of Robin's non-traditional portraits from her essay in the UMVA Maine Arts Journal.
A portrait of my Great Aunt Fannie at Ninety, acrylic on panel, 14″ x 14″, 2024 (photo reference from Bonnie Brooks) as seen in my Portraits article

The artwork referenced in my Portraits article is feminist and quietly subversive. Please read the article to find out why. And please let me know your thoughts. As always, I love hearing from you!

Be well.

~Robin