Video by Jarrett Hendrix
“The Temples of My Familiars” series is about the intersections between my identity, the diverse visual languages in my artwork and the narratives they reference. The title is most definitely borrowed from the 1989 Alice Walker novel, The Temple of My Familiar. A womanist narrative about several women of color and their evolutionary process to know self, their identity and their struggle for happiness within a patriarchal society. However, I chose the title because of the distinct visual reference my sculptural geometric-like renderings took on once I inverted them. They became temples, a place of spiritual practice and sacrifice in which I could place my familiars —my visual languages. A place where they could be re-rooted, re-formulated, and take on a new life.
Being an artist has facilitated a very specific type of data collection, visual documentation, analysis and a vast array of methods of self-expression and personal exploration regarding issues that concern me. During a recent journey through past work, contemplations, beginnings and endings; I encountered fragments of myself. These fragments vibrated silently, yet continuously, like piercing questions waiting to be answered. The various languages beckoned and bemoaned to be unified. Once combined, the equations gracefully revealed themselves in harmony. Each artwork, 24 x 18 in, mixed media collage, within the series begins with title “The Temples of My Familiars” and then has a distinct sub-title. -AMBER ROBLES-GORDON, 2019
Contact Morton Fine Art for available artwork by AMBER ROBLES-GORDON.
AMBER ROBLES-GORDON
(Washington, DC b. Puerto Rico)
EDUCATION
2011 M.F.A., Howard University, Washington, D.C.
2005 B.S. in Business Administration, Trinity College, Washington, D.C.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021 American University, Katzen Arts Center, Washington, DC
2019 Universidad del Sagrado Corazon, San Juan, Puerto Rico 2018 Washington College, Chestertown, MD
2018 Third Eye Open, Morton Fine Art, Washington, D.C.
2017 At the Altar, Arts Center/Gallery Delaware State University, Dover, DE
2017 Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Lancaster, PA
2012 Milked, Riverviews Art Space, Lynchberg, Virginia
2012 With Every Fiber of My Being, Honfleur Gallery, Washington, D.C.
2011 Milked, National League of American Penn Woman, Washington, D.C.
2011 Wired, Installation and Exhibit, Pleasant Plains Workshop, Washington, D.C.,
2010 Matrices of Transformation, Michael Platt Studio Gallery, Washington, D.C.
2007 Can You Free Me?, Ramee’ Gallery, Washington, D.C.
1997 The Artwork of A. Robles-Gordon, Dance Place Exhibition Space, Wash., D.C.
1995 The Art, The Brittany, Arlington, VA
COLLECTIONS
Judith A. Hoffberg Archive Library, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
Masterpiece Miniature Art Exhibition, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Capital One Bank, McLean, VA
District of Columbia’s Art Bank, Washington, DC
Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York, NY
The Gautier Family Collection, Washington, DC
Department of General Services, Washington, DC
Martha’s Table, Washington, DC
Democracy Fund, Washington, DC
Morton Fine Art: curator's notes 