Davis artist repurposes roadside findings and New York Times stories in exhibitions
Robin Hill mentions sense of place frequently. Her latest exhibitions at JayJay and artspace 1616, where audiences can find pieces crafted and curated with the familiar and mundane, cast that sense of place in a new light.
Hill’s setting shifted shortly after September 11, as she and her family moved from New York to the Central Valley, where she joined the staff of UC Davis as a professor in art and art history.
As her work has been the subject of a New York Times’ art review, it’s only fitting that the publication itself became a subject for Hill.
The Gray Lady of the news industry finds her way into Hill’s work, “There’s Only One Sky,” which sees her pulling copy from the pages of the New York Times and re-housing them throughout artspace 1616’s 14,000 square feet, in a project the artist called, “a monumental installation.”
“I wanted to extract phrases that weren’t tethered to news events, but had a tonality reflective of our time, this moment and the challenges we face as a nation,” she said. “There’s a feeling of an era. There’s no specific dates or mention of specific events. It’s up to where the viewer is, and where they’re situated in the world.”
The artist implemented the 400 or so phrases in a canvas piece, before repurposing and re-presenting them, a thread that runs through a separate exhibition from Hill at JayJay.
“Critical Matters 2.0” reintroduces several of Hill’s previous works in both original and newly realized forms, where, in some cases, Hill has deconstructed past pieces to be recast alongside a selection of new creations, with a focus on pattern, form and balance.
Hill’s inspiration has led her to pursue and collect a daunting amount detritus; from cones discarded on local roadsides, mica washers fished out of a Brooklyn dumpster, clay pulled from foreign shores and items snagged in thrift stores.
“Most people, when they hear found objects, they think that you’re looking for a story, a memory or some sort of potential, but I’m actually looking at the autonomy of goods and their integrity as forms unto themselves,” Hill said.
“I’m trying to interact with the material, the thing or the condition in a way that gives the feeling that what I’m doing is supposed to be done, so I’m trying to extend this believable fiction.”
The environmentally conscious Hill talks of a fascination surrounding origin and transformation, naturalism and industrialism, when it comes to the items included in her work.
Hill said she tries to hold onto gathered materials until inspiration strikes, when the items can find refuge and be housed anew in her art.
“Working with things that already exist kind of aligns with my concern for the planet. It seems more ethical,” she said. “There is something very indulgent about making art, when so many things are broken. I think a lot of artists have to wrestle with that. How do I make it meaningful? How do I keep it connected to the world around me?”
If You Go
“There’s Only One Sky”
Where: artspace 1616, 1616 Del Paso Boulevard
When: Through Feb. 29. Noon to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Cost: Free
More info: (916) 849-1127, Facebook.com
If You Go
“Critical Matters 2.0”
Where: JayJay, 5524 B Elvas Avenue
When: Through March 28. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
Cost: Free
More info: (916) 453-2999, Jayjayart.com