BIOGRAPHY & ARTIST STATEMENT
(B:1953, Montréal, Québec, Canada)
Richard Robesco works mainly with photography and painting. He creates figurative as well as abstract images. His work tends to be iconic and focusses on the sublime beauty of what, at first glance, seems to be commonplace but is loaded with meaning. Many of his images are metaphors for our mortality. Other of his images invite the viewer to reflect upon our human condition and the actions we take to transform our existence. Others, such as his abstract images, are the result of a more traditional aesthetic pursuit.
His subject matter is varied, from landscapes to street scenes, to portraits, still life and transposed images. His style has often been described as contemporary, energetic and colourful, though some images are minimalist, monochromatic, peaceful, reflective. He focusses his attention on the content as well as the form. He likes to experiment. His art is expressive and, occasionally, contemplative. Robesco is inspired by contemporary artists such as the German painter Gerhard Richter and Düsseldorf school photo-based artist Andreas Gursky.
He completed a one-year art residency at the School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa (SPAO), where he graduated in 2015 from their full-time Diploma Program. Robesco studied fine arts in various institutions and colleges in Montréal, Québec, and continued his development mainly at the Ottawa School of Art. He also studied Film and Television Production at McGill University; Communications at Ottawa U., Advertising at Université de Montréal, and Management at Carleton University.
Should you also wish to enquire about the availability of prints or for reproduction rights, please contact Richard Robesco through the contact page.
EXHIBITS, AWARDS AND PUBLICATIONS
2018
- ORIGINES: Salle Odyssée/Galerie Art-Images, Gatineau, Québec. Collaborative exhibition with 3 participants. 31 May to 25 August 2018.
- REVELATIONS: Maison des arts de St-Faustin, Annual competition.
- DISSONANCE: Scotiabank Contact Festival, Toronto. A Studio Zone V group exhibit. Queen Gallery.
- 7th International Miniprint Festival: Ottawa School of Art
- WEALTH 1: Selected for annual A+ competition and Exhibition, Red Wall Gallery, Ottawa
- SPHERES: Bouquinart Gallery, Gatineau (Aylmer), Group exhibition.
- ISLANDIA: Exposure Gallery, Ottawa, Solo exhibition; Vistek Gallery, Solo exhibition.
- ABSTRAKT: Maison des Arts de St-Faustin, Québec. Group exhibition
2017
-- Slave Houses: Exposure Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Solo Exhibition.
- ISLANDIA: Happy Goat Café.
-DisLOCATION: Exposure Gallery, Ottawa. A Studio Zone V group exhibit.
- DistURBANce: Scotiabank Contact Festival, Toronto. A Studio Zone V group exhibit.
2016
- Selected Works: Ottawa Tennis Club Gallery, Solo Exhibition
- War Beaches: Shenkman Centre for the Arts, AOE Gallery, Ottawa, Solo Exhibition
- Selected Works: A+ Competition and Exhibition, Red Wall Gallery at SPAO, Group Exhibition, Ottawa. Three of my submitted works were chosen by jury and shown as pârt of the twenty-five works of the exhibition.
- Revelations: Scotiabank Contact Festival, Arta Gallery, Toronto, Group Exhibition
- War Beaches: Exposure Gallery, Ottawa. Solo Exhibition.
2015
- DistURBANce: Exposure Gallery, Ottawa. A Studio Zone V group exhibit.
- Karbon: Trinity Gallery, Shenkman Centre. Was awarded the Jury Prize, Selections 2015, City of Ottawa Arts Council. Received the DeSerres Award.
- VERTEX: SPAO Open House 2015 Exhibition.
- ABSTRAKT: Voix Visuelle Gallery, Ottawa. 10th International Digital Structure Exhibition.
- Karbon and War Beaches: Applied Arts Magazine Exhibition, Toronto. These two series received an Applied Arts Award, were published in the Winter Edition of the AA Magaine and were featured on the AA Website.
- Karbon and War Beaches: Vistek Ottawa Exhibit.
- Rooms of Power: SPAO A+ 2015 Exhibit. Ottawa. Received the Best of Show award.
- Pittsburgh Orotone: SPAO A+ 2015 Exhibit. Ottawa.
- Karbon and War Beaches: SPAO year-end 2015 exhibit, Ottawa. Received the Henry's Award of Merit for Outstanding Achievement in Portfolio Production.
- Recipient of the 2015 Sphinx Bursary.
2014
- Rooms of Power: Photo was acquired and published by Ottawa Magazine, Summer 2014 edition, to illustrate a short story.
- Selected Works: SPAO Year-end 2014 exhibit, Ottawa.
- Selected Works: SPAO A+ 2014 exhibit.
- Selected Works: La Petite Mort Gallery, Ottawa.
- Recipient of the Vistek Award of Merit for Outstanding Portfolio Production.
Other
I have also exhibited my images and paintings at the Ottawa School of Art, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, at Art Salons in Rockliffe, Ontario, as well as in several restaurants in Ottawa. My works are held in private collections in Canada and abroad.
In 2007, I was invited by the Embassy of Mexico to Canada to show sixty of my photos in a solo exhibit at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), located in Hull, Quebec. A selection of my works were also published by the Embassy of Mexico to Canada in their annual agenda.
I have also illustrated a book of poetry by Gatineau poet Loïse Lavallée, that was published in the Fall of 2014 by les Éditions Neige-Galerie.