A Utahn by default, Robert Asay was born in 1993 and received a BFA with an emphasis in Painting and Drawing from the University of Utah in 2015, studying under some of Utah’s greats. He spent a small portion of his undergrad studying at the Gerrit Reitveld Academie in Amsterdam, NL.
Robert’s work primarily consists of large scale paintings, full of flowing geometric forms that move across the canvas. Post BFA, Robert worked as a Scenic Artist for the Utah Opera Company, painting sets in house and across the nation, including Ballet West’s 2017 Renovated Nutcracker.
In 2018, Robert was diagnosed with epilepsy after having a series of seizures. This led the main focus of his work to exploring and expanding inward.
In May 2023, Robert and his wife, Megan, opened a small contemporary gallery in Ogden UT called “Ruby’s Relics”. Robert also uses the gallery as an open studio between exhibitions for the public to visit and see his works in progress.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a visual artist with epilepsy. I’m interested in the unknown, the psyche, where the mind wanders while losing consciousness during a seizure. Like a strange dream, the memory fades but the feeling it leaves carries on. The elements in these paintings form through a visualized area I refer to as neural transmissions, composed of simple forms interpreted as visual data. Like a narrative, the work assembles and creates a complex language through mark making. These paintings are introspective and speak to the digital age, blending both traditional techniques and tools only available in the 21st century. The process of making my work serves as a tool to better learn and understand my experience with epilepsy, and can give insight to the faults of the human mind and memory. My work can be a tool to create an open dialogue and bring a better awareness to neurological conditions such as epilepsy. It is estimated that approximately 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy during their lifetime.
LINKS
https://www.robertasay.com
IMAGES
Robert Asay, “Scalp of a Clown,” 2023, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 in.
Robert Asay, “Missing Pieces,” 2021, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48 in.
Robert Asay, “Quarantine Landscape,” 2020, acrylic on canvas, 8 x 22 ft.
Robert Asay, “Interior Landscape,” 2022, acrylic on canvas, 32 x 18 in.
Robert Asay, “Space Station 1&2,” 2021, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36 in.
The following series of work is known as the “Lexicon Portal Project.” The project consists of 2D works that when displayed collectively make up the language or lexicon.
The objective of my work is to en-trance the viewer into a self-absorbed state of mind for the purpose of meditation, self-reflection, and other ritual practices. My work is informed by: the various fields of energy surrounding us, how we consume it, modify it, and re-emit it on a new frequency. It reflects the cycle of life; a continuous loop of this energy modification process.
The Portal Project has developed through multiple techniques, spanning mediums of analog and digital painting, digital media composition, drafting, gel transfers, cymatics, semiotics, screen printing and lithography. The Lexicon Portal Project takes on visual qualities akin to old-world tapestries, cartography, and charts filled with flowing geometric forms intended to influence, open, and flatten the space in the picture plane.
Artist listings in our Utah Artists Directories are open to all visual artists who reside part-time or full-time in the state of Utah. The listings will remain on our site as long as the artist resides in the state. There is no annual fee for the artist listings. A one-time setup fee is required to create an artist listing. To learn how to create your listing click here.
Categories: Multi-media | Painting | Utah Artists | Utah Artists - A
