Bio/Statement
"My paintings are allegorical, non-digital and explore illusions of abstract space on the flat painted surface. My focus: competing with the digital by giving voice to our spiritual humanity in an age of algorithms. Lately, I'm investigating what is consciousness? What makes us different to AI? I explore our sense of awe, its psychological benefits, and the fabrics of our universe.
At its base, my work is conceptual but is very much interested in the strengths of paint as a medium. I create a new series per year and compare these to books where every painting is a chapter. One of my recent series questioned the feelings of loneliness despite our increasing online connections. Technically, my large translucent abstracts explore fictional textures, some of which can be compared to glass or pounamu (when painted green). I try to keep my brushstrokes as smooth as possible to keep the viewer focused on the illusion of the image."
(This piece in progress in an example of the fine line I must walk between realism and the flat surface. If it becomes too realistic it looks like a photograph of a sculpture and loses the human presence that created it. If too painterly, loses the illusion of space. )
Micheline Robinson is a professional artist and was the founder and organiser of the Wirral Arts and Open Studio Tour in the 7 years she lived near Liverpool (https://wirralarts.com/about/). She is a French-Canadian and works across a range of media including painting, photography, music (composition) and film. Music being an important component as without it, she would struggle to find the same enthusiasm to paint. She studied Fine Arts and Film Animation at Concordia University in Montreal and Ottawa U.
Micheline was the initial chair for John Gorman’s Festival of Firsts and was heavily involved in her community in Hoylake. She was a board member of the town's regeneration team. She also was a member of Mirca group, a human rights international arts organisation. Their exhibition in Malta was opened by former judge Giovanni Bonello from the European Court of Human Rights. She has been represented by 3 galleries in the Liverpool region: Alex Corina’s Lark Lane gallery, The Gallery on Stanhope Street and View Two gallery on Mathew Street (opposite the Cavern).
In 2013, due to husband's work, she relocated to NZ and continued exhibiting locally and internationally (Hong Kong, South Korea, US and Australia) as well as being a finalist for the 2019 Waikato National Contemporary Arts Award and several other regional awards. She has been interviewed on RNZ’s Standing Room Only and in regional and national magazines such as the AA, Dominion Posts’ Your Weekend and Aotearoa NZ Festival for the Arts. Her artwork has appeared in other publications such as NZ's House and Gardens.
She paints full-time, produces one to two series a year in her studio on the Kapiti Coast and welcomes visitors. Her work is held in private and public collections.
Loneliness, inks on board, 2019, exhibited at the Waikato museum, Waikato, NZ
