About

HELLO!

     Welcome to the artistic world of Robert Fogel, where curiosity, experience, and the natural environment converge to create meaningful associations through abstract art. My work explores the question: How do line, form, composition, color, lighting, and title come together to evoke memories and places? What is the minimum visual information required for a viewer to connect a piece to a personal or shared experience?

     For example, my shaped painting “Zion Canyon,” composed of four box shapes painted in just two colors, instantly recalls for me the timeless beauty of Zion National Park after numerous visits. While a title is unnecessary for me to recognize the scene, I understand that each viewer may evoke a different memory, shaped by their own knowledge and experiences.

     My art is deeply rooted in both natural history and personal history. Having been adopted at 18 months by my grandparents—my grandfather and great-grandfather were blacksmiths—I learned welding, how to use a drill press, and an acetylene torch from the age of nine. Early exposure to machine fabrication through my teenage work in an industrial machine shop, combined with mechanical drawing classes in high school, laid a foundation of technical skill and precision that informs the fabrication of my work. I use welding, computer-aided design (CAD), laser cutting, and engraving to bring my abstract visions to life.

     As an emeritus professor of biology, I bring a scientific understanding of biology, geology, and the impact of human activities such as grazing and mining on animals and vegetation in the Great Basin* to my creative process. This background enriches the associations possible between viewer, artwork, and environment.

     Throughout my career, my art has received recognition including the Ursula Seuss Abstract Art Award, Ann Connelly Fine Art Award, and Virginia Hall Contemporary Art Award. I was also featured as an artist in "Oklahoma Visionaries: The Beginnings."

     My artistic mission is to invite each viewer to engage with the art through their own lens of knowledge and memory. The experience of art is a shared act between creator and observer, informed by curiosity, training, and personal history.

     Looking ahead, I am excited to incorporate microcomputer-controlled LED lighting and sound into my practice, adding new sensory dimensions to the experience of association.

     I encourage you to explore the paintings displayed here, to connect them with your own knowledge of natural history and personal experiences. Consider how the influences of the Great Basin, environmental impact, and the simplicity of form spark unique associations in your mind.I update this site regularly to reflect the evolution of my vision and creative practice.

    *Trimble, S. 1989. The Sagebrush Ocean: A Natural History of the Great Basin. University of Nevada Press, Reno and Las Vegas.

     Edited using Theobot.ai text editor.