By Angela Romeo
“My high school art teacher said ‘The ascetic of fine art cannot be taught!’ Instead he taught ‘attitude.’ ” And with that the art of Robyn Goudy comes to find its roots.
There is a sense of irreverence surrounding Robyn. I image him and the late George Carlin discussing religion, dirty words or how homes are places to store stuff. Both artists offer a critical view of a materialistic culture where safe is the norm and boring seems to be the apex of existence.
While his story reads like a romance novel, the end result is what brings art its truth. “From six to eighteen my teachers referred to me as a child prodigy artist. My interest was more focused – it was surfing, not art that ruled my world. But I did receive a scholarship and I did plan to study at Chouinard Art Institute in 1968. But I used the money and headed for Formentera the smallest of the Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain.” This was the first of Robyn’s many adventures.
Robyn returned to California and found himself in Cotati. Cotati, home to the world famous Accordion Festival, the legendary Inn of the Beginning, 60’s communes and teepee living, seemed like a perfect fit for Robyn. “It was there that I met Bill Moorhouse the Art Director at Sonoma State College.”
“Moorhouse changed my life. He allowed me to exhibit my artwork with his other students even though I was not a student at Sonoma. In 1971 he helped me get my first solo exhibit at Chabot College of Art in Hayward, which led to a show at the Sun Gallery in San Francisco and a job as a graphic artist. Being a graphic artist was not my dream job but it did pay the bills! Moorhouse, was aware of my growing disdain for my 9-5 job, offered me a position at the Taller Ibograf Art Gallery in Ibiza.”
“I never made it to Ibiza. I found myself on a circuitous journey that brought me to Belize. I stayed a year working, as you guess it, a graphic artist. By 1976 I returned to Wonder Valley. But again, artistic boredom, ennui, whatever, took hold. By 1981 I was in Santa Cruz. Once again I found myself working in the Graphic Arts. But you know Artists, or for me at least, advertising was pure hell and purer boredom,” continued Robyn. “As the graphic arts business became more digital, I became more ‘cyberphoic’. I went back to Wonder Valley. In 1992 I opened Sun Gallery in downtown Joshua Tree. Within a few months we went from three to sixty artists. But the gallery business was not for me – and I moved on.”
Since that time Robyn’s body of eclectic work has been exhibited in the Morongo Basin. “In 2011 I built the Glass Outhouse. It has hosted work by myself as well as other high desert artists. In 2017 it hosted my exhibition, The Last Picture Show.
Little did I know that several months later Suzanne Ross sort of signed me up for an exhibit at Colliding Worlds. Now there are a significant number of people who think I’m now an equivocating con artist,” noted Robyn. “But that’s where the Encore part comes in as I am pretty much done with mounting large exhibits and getting to old for the stress. But here I am with an Encore opening March.”
The work is intense in its irreverent imagery. Within the work there is something to provoke, offend, and amaze everyone. Like the seven Dirty words, Robyn’s work will provide the point of discussion and the fall out will be tremendous.
Encore opens on March 10, 5 pm – 8 pm and runs through April 7. Colliding Worlds Fine Art Gallery is located at 68-895 Perez Road, I -13, Cathedral City. For more information regarding Robyn’s work, contact Robyn Goudy at rcurlyq@gmail.com.
