Interview
Robbie Kaye
Robbie Kaye, a former New Yorker, is a mixed media artist, author and photographer residing in California. Inspired by all things provocative in nature and life, she creates with a goal of contributing unique aesthetics, depth and intrigue that invite interpretation. Her work is a culmination and result of her travels and predilection for beauty, overlooked or obvious.
Robbie’s work has been obtained by collectors worldwide, and exhibited internationally in museums and galleries. She has been published in numerous print and digital magazines, including Gourmet, Marie, Lenscratch, LensCulture and Aestetica.
In a world that’s constantly changing, one thing remains the same: the side effects of beauty.
Robbie transitioned into the art world as a classically trained musician and composer. She now works with colors and textures as her instruments for composition. Robbie believes that just like a symphony where all the instruments come together to create a masterpiece of sound, so do the aesthetics in our environment.
What is your background and how did you start your journey?
“At 5 years old, I went to a summer camp where there was a piano in the bunk, and a huge emphasis on a musical event that every camper took part in. I was hooked. At 7, I was fortunate enough to get my first baby grand piano. It became my refuge; my sanctuary. I would go to my piano to express every feeling I was learning about. I was first trained as a classical pianist and later I attended Berklee College of Music, where I studied Jazz. This was my first art form, and it led me to photography while I was on tour, and then to painting and mixed media, which I’ve been doing for the last four years.
My journey continues as I experiment with different mediums and subjects. My 'work' is still my refuge, my sanctuary,my safe place.”
What inspires you most?
“Everything inspires me. Everyone inspires me. Inspiration is all around. All I have to do is pay attention to people, to nature, and to what is unfolding in the world. I paint a lot of trees because they are so beautiful and are a metaphor for so much — alive and blooming in the spring, and dormant in the winter. Their roots, when deep, can endure all kinds of weather. They are strong.
I’m also inspired by people who are unlikely candidates of the limelight; the ones who have overcome challenges to land on their feet and prosper in many ways. Lately, fashion has been a source of inspiration as well. I love the geometric forms and architecture of high couture.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“The themes in my work revolve around nature and philosophy. My searching to learn about life and myself transfers to my work, and I enjoy the process of experimenting.
I hope the underlying message in my art is an invitation to create one’s own narrative. My aim is to have my work offer something relatable to the viewer, something that requests them to think about the work and how it relates to them. My overall message is ‘find the beauty in everything’.”
“A writer writes to emit something from themselves and entertain.
A journalist asks questions to learn about their subject, and also themselves, and then shares that with readers.
It’s the artist’s role, just like the journalist, to share stories—some factual, some not.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work, like my musical training in classical and jazz, is a combination of different things. Painting is the only art form I don’t have technical training in, so everything is a mystery for me to unfold. Because of this, I’d like to think that my work is authentic and not refined, yet relatable; thought provoking and beautiful to the viewer.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I’d have to say Georgia O’Keeffe, Mark Rothko, Cindy Sherman, Andy Warhol, and designer Nensi Dojaki, and I didn’t know it until I started painting trees.
There’s also Gustav Klimt and many other photographers and artists, unknown, whose work has inspired me in one way or another.”
What is your creative process like?
“This is always the most difficult question for me to answer. My creative process is always changing, since we are always changing. The creative process is a conversation I have with myself when I feel I have something in particular to say. I try to express it many ways until ‘I’ understand it, or at least as much of it as I can at that time.
Most of my ideas emerge right before I sleep, or early in the morning. The creation begins in my mind and then evolves onto sketches on paper. If it sticks with me, I experiment in my studio, where it materializes naturally.
I like hiding birds in my Naked Trees collection, shown below, to show life in winter, but also to invite the viewer to actually engage in the painting. As I’ve told many people, my creative process also involves the ‘F’ up and fix method. I make a ton of mistakes, and as the work morphs, it either feels better and I discover new techniques, or it gets scrapped. Even then, if a painting has failed to convey what I wanted, I’ll come back and paint it over, only to find that the old and the new combined have created something beautiful and textural.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I see an artist’s role in society just as other professionals working at their job.
Artists can provoke and challenge thinking and beliefs, which leads to expansion of thought and hopefully equanimity. Artists inspire. And with social media now available, there are so many who have a platform to share their voice and their work. All art is evolving and has played a huge part during the pandemic, bringing beauty and solace. I’m not sure what my role as an artist is in society, other than to be ‘real’.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“My ‘Beauty and Wisdom’ photography work was exhibited at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Boston, Massachusetts. My mixed media work was exhibited at The Brittany Davis Gallery in Ojai, California, and I’ve had the honor of being included in many group shows.
I’ll be exhibiting a solo show of my new work, Dressed Up online at Kefi Art Gallery within the next couple of weeks. I’ve some pieces exhibited at Corazon Contemporary Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.”
