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Helen Robinson wearing Tory’s Indie top, photographed by Lianna Tarantin at her New York studio
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Helen Robinson wearing Tory’s Indie top, photographed by Lianna Tarantin at her New York studio
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Helen Ostuni, 2015, by Helen Robinson
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A Different Kind of Road Map, 2016, by Helen Robinson
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Harriet Williamsburg, 2015, by Helen Robinson
Wearing Tory’s Indie top, Brooklyn-based Helen Robinson opens up about her life as an artist.
I can’t remember when exactly because I have been an art fanatic for as long as I can remember. As a little kid I always had a crayon in hand and was doodling or drawing. Being an artist was never something I just decided one day; it’s always been a part of me. I know that may sound lame or pretentious, but it’s true.
My very first art love…
I’m not totally sure how to interpret this question, but in my opinion, my first art love was drawing horses in a sketchbook I had in elementary school. I was very meticulous about giving each horse a name based on his or her imagined personality and would carefully write the horse’s nickname and official show name, as well as the date in the top corner. I was combining two great passions of mine and creating a series of very orderly portraits. I treasured that sketchbook and still have it today.
I’m drawn to portraits because…
People are so interesting. Yes, landscapes and abstracts are awesome, but people have a humanizing quality that I like to incorporate into my work. I use portraiture as a social commentary that explores human connection and social interactions, hoping to capture some part of our zeitgeist.
And the inspiration behind my Observance series…
It was inspired by a residency I did a few years ago called the Land Art Road Trip. I traveled with a group of artists and did a road trip throughout the Southwest to see various Land Art installations and camp in National Parks. All of that wide open space and lack of cell service encouraged me to disconnect from my life back home and really look up at what was right in front of me. It’s no secret we can all be a little addicted to our devices, so I want my Observance series to inspire others to look up and see what’s out there instead of looking down at their latest Instagram. I’m actually typing this on a plane home from my latest two-week road trip, so hopefully there will be a follow up series to Observance coming soon.
My preferred medium/tools…
Definitely oil paint and canvas/linen. I’ve tried using acrylics before, because they dry so much faster, but I’m just not as good with them. Oil paint is a very forgiving material and it lets you edit much easier.
My art influences include…
I have many, but two very basic ones are my mom and dad. They claim they have no artistic abilities, but that’s a lie. My dad is a world-class doodler when he is on long work calls, and my mom has taken some art classes in the past and was pretty darn good at portraits for someone who isn’t an “artist.” In terms of artists I admire and directly influence my work, I would have to say Francis Bacon, Gerhard Richter, Jenny Saville, Kehinde Wiley, Rineke Dijkstra, Barkley L. Hendricks, Karel Funk, and a lot of others I’m blanking on right now. I also have to give a shout-out to my friends because they are often my muses and models for my paintings.
When I get the artist equivalent of writers block…
It helps to flip through some of my big art books or, if I can, I go to a museum (for me that’s the Whitney). Being surrounded by a vast and diverse collection of amazing art always gives me a jolt of creativity. And if I’m still blocked after that, at least I’m reminded that to make something great you need to take risks and not be afraid of failing. With that in mind, I’m usually able to get back in the studio and make something (even if it’s not very good).
As an artist I could never be without…
A journal! I always have a black oversized journal (nothing fancy) where I do all my planning. I use it for everything — sketching, pasting inspirational imagery, hashing out ideas, planning how to hang something, measuring walls, writing, etc. I just started a fresh journal before I left of this road trip, and I’m super excited to look back through it when I get home to decode and decipher everything.
Favorite creative to follow on Instagram…
This is a hard question because there are so many. I’m really partial to following artists’ accounts, because I know that their content is original and comes directly from them, which I find inspiring. On top of seeing finished pieces, you get a look at their studios, personal lives and their artistic process and practice. Right now I love following Jen Mann, Jenny Morgan, Chloe Wise and Rachel Lee Hovnanian. I also love the creative account Obsessee that is a social media only publication “where rad girls get real” and also Nayyirah Waheed for some daily poetic inspiration.
A good work of art should always…
Make you think.