I had a chance to go to the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center to visit an exhibition by the model turned artist and SCAD professor, Shana Robbins. My 1st semester at GSU I took Robbins’ Studio Art class and just from walking across Hurt Park at 8 am acting like zombies I knew that Robbins’ art was very different that what I have ever came across before. Her exhibit Supernatural Conductor is one that I recommend for those you are interested in art especially performance art. As an artist I wanted to share my own view on Robbins’ amazing work:

Her artwork in “Supernatural Conductor” was just as I expected and more. Walking into the Contemporary I see fresh white walls, amongst them are natural colors. Everything in the room is neutral, earthy, clean and free. Mannequins spread throughout the room are draped from head to toe with custom made form fitting naturalistic tones, paintings using earth tone colors, photographs containing natural waters surrounded by beautiful greenery. Within the room are also three-dimensional aspects such as beautiful crystals and a large web-like drapery made from doilies that looks like a large dream catcher. As I look at each piece of art work within the room I notice the constant theme of feministic pieces and hidden faces. Right off I can tell that the artist is developing a meaning with the audience, but it is not clear at first so I explore the room more. I first approach a self portrait piece titled “Dream Catcher” I am drawn in by the face painted in the center of the piece. This face is starring back at me trying to tell me something, in a way it frightened me as though it was going to climb out of the painting. As I look around the room everything looked as though it was moving. The feet of the mannequins were taking imaginary steps. The alienated people in the images were all moving towards me.

Movement was an aspect that Robbins wanted to manipulate and interpret in her work. After many years of her modeling career she wanted to make sure that her work showed action compared to the still aspect of a model. But instead of us starring at the faces of these eco-feministic mannequins she hid them behind fashionable drapery. Even in the large video displaying Robbins’ previous performances her face is always hidden, but we instead see the beauty of her through her clothing and body movements. I believe Robbins’ wanted to no longer “be a mirror for people” but instead allow them to see their beauty by looking at her. Her movements came from Japanese influences allowing Robbins’ to move energy through her body.

As for all the three-dimensional aspects they as well such as the crystals, doilies and the decorated trees, they all held in a meaning of their own. The crystals represented energy vessels holding energy within them. The web-like doilies were from her myth of being a “Spiderwoman” and also brought out the Native American connections with their dream-catcher feel. The studded and decorated trees brought energy to the room as well with their glowing features.

Robbins’ usage of objects and mixed media brought out her work and created meaning to her art. I feel that Robbins’ work was very symbolic to women and a feministic society. Being in the Contemporary surrounded by her work helped me to feel a new meaning to my own feministic inner beauty. Shana Robbins represented the female beauty very well in her exhibition of “Supernatural Conductor.”

Make sure you check out her exhibit which will be at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center until September 19th!

Click here for details!