Robert Arneson

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Robert Arneson
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Robert Arneson was born in Benicia, California in
1930. Arneson drew frequently as a child, and
his father encouraged him to develop his
abilities. By the age of 17 he was seriously
aspiring to become a professional cartoonist. He
received a Bachelors degree in Art Education from
California College of Arts
and crafts in Oakland, and began teaching in the
Bay area as a high school ceramics teacher. He
focused almost exclusively on ceramics, and
completed a MFA in 1958 from Mills College. He
began teaching at UC Davis in 1962, becoming a
full professor in 1973. Arneson was heavily
influenced by the expressive work of Peter
Voulkos, which eventually led him to abandon
traditional functional work in favor of
sculptural, expressive work. Common threads in
Arnesons work include social commentary and a
dark, wry sense of humor.
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• Arneson became a leader in the Funk Art movement.
  His work was influenced by Pop Art and the
  expressive work of Peter Voulkos. His work
  combines visual puns, technical expertise and an
  expressive vision.

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• A primary subject and frequent focus of Arnesons
  work is the self portrait. Arneson created many
  self portraits using mirrors, photographs and
  drawings. These self portraits are generally
  irreverent, humorous, and convey universal
  concepts and feelings.

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• Arnesons work often embraced shock value. He
  forced the viewer to examine themselves as well
  as their attitudes toward art. Arneson gradually
  made the self portrait the subject of his work.
  Many critics viewed this as the ultimate ego
  gratification, but Arneson managed to do it in a
  humorous, self-deprecating manner that allowed
  his work to be a commentary on the human
  condition.

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• In this work, California Artist, Arneson created
  a self portrait as a satirical response to a New
  York art critic who labeled Arnesons work as
  typical of a mind that is too easily pleased
  with his own jokes. In the sculpture, the
  sunglasses frame gaping holes into a hollow head.
  The arms are crossed in a defiant gesture of
  anti-intellectualism, and the pedestal is
  littered with bottles and cigarette butts.

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• For a time, Arneson changed his focus from things
  society builds to things society builds with .
  He created a series of works using bricks,
  including gestural self portraits and several
  trompe loeil works, such as Brick Multiple.

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• When San Francisco mayor George Moscone was
  assassinated, Arneson was commissioned to create
  a memorial bust to be installed in the Moscone
  Convention Center. Arneson created a large
  scale, expressive portrait of the Mayor. The
  work created a tremendous controversy.

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• The bust of the Mayor was not the subject of the
  controversy the graphic depiction of the mayors
  assassination on the pedestal supporting the
  bust, however, offended many members of the
  community.

Arneson received death threats after the
installation of the work. A public proposal was
made to break the pedestal into hundreds of
pieces and dump it into the deepest part of the
Bay. Eventually, the work was removed.
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• At the end of the sixties, Arnesons work became
  very autobiographic leading to a series of
  monumental self portraits in which he reinvented
  and reinterpreted his image in a variety of
  expressive works.

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• Arnesons work during this period shows emotional
  power and strength, as well as a satirical wit.

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• Arneson began to work in additional media,
  including bronze casting. This method was well
  suited to his aesthetic desires and style of
  construction.

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• Arneson also continued to draw and paint as well
  as sculpting. His paintings show a strong sense
  of design and composition.

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• In addition to self-portraits, Arneson is also
  well known for portraits of other individuals.
  Here Arneson is working with an assistant on a
  bust of Jackson Pollock. The positive form is
  sculpted, cast in plaster, and then slabs are
  draped inside to create the final form.

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• Arneson drying the bust of Pollock in an open
  door firing

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• In the early 80s, Arneson was diagnosed with
  liver cancer. After his diagnosis, Arnesons
  work became darker, moodier and more satirical.
  He also began to become very focused on mankinds
  flirtation with self-destruction through nuclear
  holocaust.

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• Arnesons General Nuke was created at a time of
  great tension between The United States and The
  Soviet Union. The work addresses the fear of
  nuclear holocaust and over-zealous military
  leaders. The general is depicted as a leering,
  vicious monster, with a MX peacekeeper missile
  for a nose. The helmet is decorated with a world
  map, and acronyms for various nuclear weapons.
  The pedestal consists of stacked, charred bodies
  on a granite foundation indicating a sort of
  memorial.

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