Interview
Robert Lawrence Price II
Robert is a German-American artist working in photography. Born in 1978 in Heidelberg, he grew up as an army brat, moving back and forth between Germany and the U.S. as his family was stationed in different places. This constant movement shaped how he sees the world - always observing, always adapting. In Europe, art was woven into the landscape, while American pop culture spread like wildfire, shaping music, design, and subcultures. Skateboarding was his first deep dive into one of those worlds - a space where music, graphics, and a DIY ethos collided. That led him to the guitar and a 17-year career as a touring and recording musician. In 2008, Robert joined Berlin’s Phase7 performing.arts collective, collaborating across disciplines, from software art to choreography. Photography entered his life in 1994, first through film development and later as a tool for music and promotion. Over time, it became an outlet for ideas that didn’t fit anywhere else. When touring ended in 2016, photography gradually took over - until it was all he wanted to do. By 2018, Robert committed fully to photography as his primary means of expression. He slowly started exhibiting his work in group shows, and in February 2024, he had the honor of hosting his first solo exhibition. While Robert considers himself an emerging artist, his work has been gaining attention, and he’s continuing to put it out into the world.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I started out as a musician, spending years writing songs, touring, and producing records. Music taught me how to riff - to follow an idea wherever it leads - and that instinct has stayed with me. Photography came later, almost by accident, but it quickly became my primary language. I’ve always been drawn to details and atmosphere, and once I discovered what a macro lens could do, I felt like I’d found a new instrument.”
What inspires you?
“I’m inspired by the quiet stuff - forgotten objects, overlooked details, things that feel like they’ve slipped out of time. I find beauty in decay, in traces of use, in the tension between nature and human-made structures. Living near the forest and water helps me stay connected to that slower rhythm. Science fiction and history also have a big influence - not just as genres, but as ways of thinking about time, memory, and possibility. I often find myself imagining how the present will look in the future, or how the past still lingers in what we touch. And then there are photons - particles of light, timeless and indifferent. The idea that they’ll outlast all of us is oddly comforting. That’s the kind of inspiration I come back to again and again — not spectacle, but something more metaphysical.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I’m inspired by the way objects carry meaning - often without us noticing. A surface, a texture, a small shift in context can completely change how something feels. I’m drawn to details that suggest a story or emotion without spelling it out. That space between clarity and ambiguity is where I find the most energy. My surroundings play a role too. Living close to nature gives me a kind of balance, and I often bring elements from my environment into the studio. But I also draw from memory, history, and everyday encounters - things that linger, even if they seem unremarkable at first. I try to stay open to those moments.”
How would you describe your work?
“I make bold, graphic photographs that walk a line between still life, abstraction, and post-pop aesthetics. I work with everyday objects, isolating them through scale, light, and material distortion. The final image always becomes a print - a physical object, not just a file. I’m interested in how something mundane can be transformed into something iconic or strange. There’s control in the process, but also a kind of friction - a tension between the clean image and the messiness it came from.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I’m influenced by both high and low visual culture - religious iconography, poster art, album covers. That overlap has always interested me, especially where sacred and commercial imagery meet. Artists like Damien Hirst and Tyler Shields made a strong impression on me in terms of how they frame objects and construct meaning. The album Dirty by Sonic Youth had a big impact on me - especially the cover and sleeve art by Mike Kelley, from his Ahh...Youth! series. Those images of handmade dolls and plush toys, photographed like portraits, stayed with me. They’re simple and direct, but there’s something charged about them. That might be one of the reasons I ended up in still life - working with objects as stand-ins, or as something more than just what they are. Growing up between American and German culture probably sharpened my eye for contrast - raw vs. clean, sentimental vs. clinical.”
“I make bold, graphic photographs that walk a line between still life, abstraction, and post-pop aesthetics.”
What is your creative process like?
“My process is pretty intuitive. It comes from my background in music - I used to be a guitarist, and I still work in that same kind of way: riffing, trying things out, seeing what sticks. The studio is where that happens. It’s not a sterile workspace - it’s more like a playground for ideas. I move objects around, adjust the light, change the setup until something clicks. Sometimes a piece comes together right away, sometimes it takes days. I don’t usually start with a strict plan - I’d rather let things unfold. It’s a mix of instinct and control. For me, it’s less about executing a concept and more about discovering the image as I go.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I think an artist’s role is to pay attention - to notice what’s slipping through the cracks, what isn’t being said, or what’s being forgotten. That doesn’t always mean making bold statements. Sometimes it’s about creating space to reflect, to reframe, or to see something ordinary in a new way. I also think it’s about celebrating human consciousness - this strange, fragile thing we carry around with us. As we move deeper into a world shaped by machines, automation, and algorithms, it feels more important than ever to stay human - to keep making things that are imperfect, physical, emotional. Art reminds us that we still have inner lives.”
Website: www.robertlawrencepriceii.com
Instagram: @rlpii_
