Figurative Painting and Drawing

In a California context, this work emerged in the 1950s and ‘60s, a period when a group of Bay Area artists (including David Park, Richard Diebenkorn and Elmer Bischoff) challenged the dominance of Abstract Expressionism and made a surprising turn away. While still embracing the spirit of abstraction, these artists reintroduced recognizable subject matter into their painting. They looked to the world around them, often painting from live models. This group was also influenced by the West Coast Beat scene that epitomized the boundary-defying spirit of the era.

It was during this period that Robert enrolled in life drawing classes at the California School of Fine Arts (now known as the San Francisco Art Institute). Life drawing, also known as figure drawing, is the classic method for aspiring artists to acquire the skill of drawing the human body and mastering its line, shape and depth. During the 1960s, Robert also participated in life drawing sessions, together with other interested artist friends, that took place either in his or friends’ home studios, enabling him to refine his skills in various mediums. (During these years, Robert often drew and painted together with artist friends; after the early 1970s, he mainly worked alone in his home studio.)
The figure drawing “Flo” is of the legendary San Francisco artist’s model, Florence Allen, at the CSFA, who posed for many prominent West Coast painters over the second half of the 20^th century. The painting “Katie” depicts another well-known model and elicits more detail in the composition. The drawings “Agnes” and “Verne” demonstrate Robert’s facility with a simple pencil. Images 49, 50 and 51 are examples of his exploration of oil and gouache and extensions of figure drawing from the late 1960s.