With Juke and Diver #2, Bruce Robinson continues to explore contemporary culture through his unique manipulation of materials. The figures are shown in motion, as if they were drawn with plywood. The artist is driven by his curiosity in the world, in the Black experience, and even in the process in which he makes art. These works are painted sculptures and Robinson achieves a lightness and movement that is unimaginable in such a harsh, humble material such as plywood. The roughness of the edges underscores the modest approach and hand made quality, a nod to the power of an artist to create using commonplace materials. Paired with a sophisticated use of paint, the objects defy their humble arsenal to become smart, beautiful and powerful works of art.

Juke is a figure in motion, taken straight from the field, with his hair bouncing in the air. The energy of the figure and the movement is seen through the zig-zag technique and the hot red painting. The title Juke alludes to the athletic nature of the figure who is faking out his opponent on the field with a quick and unexpected change of direction. Sports is a continued source of inspiration for the artist with its heroes and reflections of contemporary culture.

With Diver #2, Robinson finds inspiration abroad and shines a spotlight on the sand divers in Africa. Sand is the most mined material in the world, as it is used as a building material in making concrete. With the global economic growth and building boom using concrete, sand remains a critical material that is mined by hand from riverbeds in places such as in Cameroon. Using wooden boats and metal pails, young men dive in rivers to excavate the sand. Hundreds of dives per day yields boatfulls of sand that are brought to the shores and loaded onto trucks. The labor, environmental and larger economic consequences of this practice are dire, as the demand is only growing. So much to think about in one work, gracefully honoring the physical and social demands. The nuanced painting conjures the feeling of the water and the movement of the divers and the shapes of the figures express the muscular build and strength possessed by these individuals.

Bruce Robinson is a visual artist based in Columbus, Ohio. Robinson is a Professor Emeritus at the Columbus College of Art and Design, where he taught for 32 years. A recipient of the Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award, Robinson received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and his MFA from Indiana University. Since 2020, Contemporary Art Matters has featured Robinson’s work in several solo and group exhibitions and in 2021 the artist had a solo exhibition,

Flutterby, which was shown at the Pizzuti Collection of the Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH. In 2024 he had a solo show at Contemporary Art Matters Columbus, OH Flying Home.