William Barry Roberts

The mere idea of Radical Freedom as applied to art or life fosters such vastness in the areas of creativity that the mind cannot always let go of its methodical thinking.....I do not see the gilded, beautiful world as the Impressionists nor do I see the amazement of our man-made junk that the Pop artists so heavily engaged in....I try to create an honest physical construct of art as I see the world we live in today...I cannot identify with the dadaist or with the masters of renaissance....I exist in a dying nation within a dying world....Pessimism, Doom and Reality are the underlying themes that I strive to portay...the tools have changed but the craft continues..I am but an amalgamation of all I have absorbed.... I was born in Toledo, Ohio in 1971 and haved lived most of my life in and around that area. Being from the midwest U.S. gives me an insight that has produced many great artists and designers of the last 50 years....we don't have much more to do than use our minds or languish in alcohol... About my art and designs....I produce original, raw creations or they go in the garbage. I don't have a particular style or technique, as I get bored with the same thing over and over again. My wife describes my style as schizophrenic... American folk art/designs have given me a lot of inspiration ie: album covers, product packaging, zines, technical drawings/illustrations, bar codes, diagrams, spread sheets, graphs, posters, cartoons and the artwork Gulf Between Robot by Frank Kelly Freas (fellow alumnus at Art Institute of Pittsburgh I later learned), it was the first artwork that grabbed me as a child and consumed my thoughts...Once I started using the computer for illustrations, traditional mediums almost seem silly to me now, although I still use and love them. I want to be where art is 50 years from now.I began my design career (1993) straight out of college as a sculptor/designer/model maker creating works for childrens entertainment centers. Among the various work, I made large fiberglass sculptures of insects, childrens characters & animations etc for some very well known retail industries. I then moved on to 3-D architectural illustration, model making, lots of CAD/drafting and then later computer graphics and rendering.I look to the art and artisans of past for color, composition and style but I am definitely a forward working artist. I had the opportunity (unfortunate?) to work with the latest technology and materials industry has to offer, so I approach art with a modern designer mind-set. I'm not going to start painting still lifes of apples etc. I believe the modern artist has to be aware of the role that art has in context of modern society. I believe we artists are here to lead and speak with a voice not able to be spoken by any other means.I'll post a "bulletin" of where/when my art will be on public display._ _ ___ ____ ____ ___ ____ ____ ___ ____ |/..| |==] |-- [__] |==] |=== |-- | ====