Preview | Mario Andres Robinson’s examination of the human condition
Joseph Arnold, Contributing Writer
June 23, 2021
What: “Mario Andres Robinson: A Brush with Time”
Who: The exhibition is free and open to the public
When: May 7 to July 30 during museum hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: The Paul R. Jones Museum
The exhibition marks the first time Mario Andres Robinson — an American painter, pastelist and draftsman — has displayed his work for the Alabama public.
Daniel White, the museum’s director, said that Robinson is a highly regarded artist in the Northeast. With this exhibition, he wanted to introduce Robinson to the Southeast region.
“This is his first solo show in Alabama, so I felt like it was an important moment because his work fits the kind of work that we exhibit here at the Jones Museum,” White said.
Inspired by painters like Rembrandt, Thomas Eakins and Andrew Wyeth, Robinson incorporates aspects of realism into his works of watercolor and graphite, capturing minute yet powerful moments in daily life. Every piece is rendered in such a way that the viewer must stop and consider the meaning behind each detailed backdrop and set of lifelike eyes.
White said the museum is happy to showcase Robinson’s work because it can intrigue the public, impact the local conversation about art and inspire UA art students.
“The thing about Mario’s work and why it’s important is that he is one of the most well-regarded watercolor artists working today in America,” White said. “He’s won many awards. He has his own book out. He’s just an accomplished artist.”
White said seeing the work of an accomplished artist like Robinson could inspire UA art students to make careers out of their craft.
Though this is Robinson’s first solo exhibition in Alabama, it is not the first time he has created art in the state.
“It could easily be said that it’s a homecoming of sorts,” Robinson said. “My professional art career began in 1994 while spending two years in Huntsville, drawing and painting portraits of local subjects. I’m honored to share my work with the great citizens of Alabama.”
Robinson said he is honored to showcase his work at the Paul R. Jones Museum and grateful to White “for working with me every step of the way and gently guiding my decisions.”
According to Robinson, who recently returned to Alabama after moving to New Jersey as a young boy, the works selected for the exhibition are deeply personal.
“Prior to moving back to New Jersey, I developed a working relationship with my first model, named Kenyatta ‘Plum’ Johnson. The most cherished work in the exhibition is a working study of Plum, which dates back to 2001. The works in the show were carefully chosen from my personal collection,” Robinson said.
Robinson said he hopes Alabamians will understand that his work is centered around the human condition.
“It’s my hope that the viewers of ‘A Brush with Time’ sense the love and affection I have for the people and places I portray in my work. The coastal towns of Point Pleasant Beach and Keyport, New Jersey, have defined my adolescence and adulthood,” Robinson said. “The backdrops in the works offer a glimpse into my world. In the end, the universal theme of my work is the human condition.”
Morton Fine Art: curator's notes 