EXODUS
ROBERT STURMAN
EXODUS
I have my mother’s hands and my father’s heart.
The powerful images of mixed-media artist Robert Sturman have a vivid presence that is both other-worldly and deeply rooted in the earthly wonders he has explored so adventurously in his global travels. A spiritual journeyer as well, Sturman is an intuitive creator whose works resonate with an inner vision as much as they reach out to embrace the viewer with tactile, richly hued physicality. Dappled with light, vibrant with texture, at once brimming with narrative voice and sensual immediacy, his art conveys the sense of a moment of a dream distilled so that its magic and mystery can be absorbed at will.
GRAMMY Nominee Poster Signing
Los Angeles - 2005
The official visual artist of 2005’s 47th Annual GRAMMY® Awards, Sturman has formal training as a painter and photographer, and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Following his degree, Sturman completed a two-year apprenticeship with Carmel, CA-based master photographer William Giles, whose striking images have been said, "to have the impact of a Zen koan," a description that could apply to Sturman’s imagery as well. He also studied for two years at the Memphis College of Art under acclaimed Italian painter John Torina, whose ephemeral, atmospheric landscapes are echoed in many of Sturman’s works.
In finding his own artistic signature, Sturman developed and refined an improvisational, labor-intensive process that synthesizes both his photographic and painterly expertise. Each of his pieces begins with an original image created with a Polaroid SX-70 camera, instant photographic film, and meticulously considered lighting. As soon as the image comes out of the camera, Sturman warms it up to keep the chemical emulsions fluid—depending on his locale when shooting, source heat might be the sun in the tropics, or the warmth of his winter coat in cooler climes.
Mandalay, Burma - 2004
On site wherever he is in the world, Sturman then immediately carves into the still wet and supple surface of the photo with a variety of handmade tools until he feels the image has been manipulated and transformed to its ultimate potential. The piece is later enlarged using an optimally high-resolution scanner, and a process through which none of the original light radiance or color luminosity is lost. Because Sturman chooses his subject matter in advance with its inherent color values in mind, his palette is extraordinary. Coupled with the impressionistic "brushstrokes" of Sturman's hand implements, the result is as pure a fusion of painting and photography as exists anywhere.
Sturman's body of work is comprised of a wealth of images taken over the course of extensive international treks. Each landscape, cityscape or captured vista is suffused with the essence of its place of origin, including visions of India, Rome, New Orleans, Laos, San Francisco, Cuba, and myriad more destinations. The artist's passion for Buddhist thought is reflected in a host of striking images including one of monks silently crossing in front of a Nepalese Temple, and his Jewish identity is explored in the piece "Perseverance: Portrait of a Surfing Rabbi," created after a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau. In listing qualities intrinsic to his work, Sturman has said it "is about emotions for which I have no words," and that can be felt throughout his oeuvre.
La Habana, Cuba - 2003
Many more of Sturman’s pieces portray musicians and musical instruments, his distinctive technique lending itself beautifully to the improvisational nature of musical creation. The image selected for the 47th annual GRAMMY Awards, "The Humble Heroics of the Musical Poet," is a dynamic portrait of a red-suited guitar player shot in the streets of East L.A. Alive with spirit and screaming with color, it embodies Sturman's stated desire to be "fearless in the expression of light."
A native Southern Californian, Robert Sturman lives in Santa Monica with his beagle, Poncho.
Timeline of Robert Sturman's Life and Work
1970 — Robert Charles Sturman is born on February 17th, the third and youngest child of Herbert and Beverly Sturman, in Los Angeles, California. Sturman grows up in an environment interested in literature and art.
1984 — Sturman attends boarding school in the mountain town of Idyllwild, California. His father buys him his first camera, a Pentax k1000. His passion for photography begins. When he asked his father what he was supposed to take pictures of, his father's response was "Everything that you love."
1985-1988 — While finishing up his education at Crossroads High School in Santa Monica, CA, Sturman spends most of his time in the photography department. He also enrolls at Otis College of Art and Design and takes night classes.
1988 — Sturman attends The University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) and focuses on studying Art History and Drawing. He develops a friendship with master photographer, William Giles, who lives and works in Carmel, California. While still attending UCSC, Sturman becomes his apprentice for two years. He learns the foundations of photography while working in the darkroom, producing fine prints, and creating with a large format 8x10 camera. His friendship with Giles continues past graduation.
1992 — After graduating from UCSC with a B.A. in Art and an emphasis in Painting and Drawing, Sturman attends The Memphis College of Art for two years. He studies under Italian master painter, John Torina, whose ephemeral images later echo in Sturman's work.
2000 — Sturman visits India and Nepal, inspiring him to create his first comprehensive body of work. He is greatly moved by Osho, the Indian mystic poet and painter, and his principles of creativity, which soon affect his life as an artist and the responsibility that comes with it.
2000-2002 — During this period, Sturman makes four separate trips to Cuba to create the "Cuba Libre, 'An American Artist in Cuba'" series. This work marks the beginning of a deep appreciation and fascination with music. Sturman realizes the parallels of the principles of creating visual art and musical creation. The Cuba series would pave the way for Sturman to develop a relationship with The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences and their internationally acclaimed GRAMMY'S award show.
2003 — Sturman spends three months creating a series of images in Europe, studying master artists such as Michelangelo, da Vinci, Rodin and Picasso. In Poland, Sturman visits Auschwitz/Birkenau Concentration Camp. This experience changes his life, reaffirming the importance of assuming responsibility for his life.
2004 — Sturman is selected by The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences to be the official artist for the 47th Annual Grammy Awards.
2005 — Sturman is commissioned by The United States Olympic Committee to create exclusive portraits of The Hall of Fame Olympians. The Living Wellness Foundation honors Sturman with the Creative Visionary Award; other invited honorees include His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Kunzang Rinpoche, the 'Tibetan Treasure Finder.'
2006 — Sturman collaborates with B.B. King to create an 80th Birthday portrait.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2006 — Bergamot Station, BGH Gallery, Santa Monica, California — Tranquility exhibition
2005 — Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Memphis, TN: "In the Mix — Selected Works by Robert Sturman"
2004 — Risk Press Gallery (Melrose), West Hollywood, CA: "Mandalay and the Skies of Serendipity"
2002 — Studio Gallery, Santa Monica, CA: "The European Series"
2001 — Studio Gallery, Santa Monica, CA: "Cuba Libre - an American Artist in Cuba"
2000 — The Hatch Gallery, Los Angeles, CA: "Visual Poems"
1999 — Potrero Hill Brewing Company, San Francisco, CA: "Blues Highway"
1998 — Vision Gallery, San Diego, CA: "Song of the Waves"
Perhaps more than ever, the role of the artist is to see and share the beauty of life.
