Robin Page

For the English farmer, journalist, television presenter and political activist, see Robin Page (journalist).

Robin Page (2 November 1932 - 12 May 2015)[1] was a British painter. He was one of the early members of the Fluxus art movement.

Biography

Page was born in England in 1932. His father, Peter Carter-Page, was a humorist and cartoonist who worked as an animator at the Disney studios in Hollywood in the 1930s. The family moved to Canada where the young Page lived until the age of 27. Page moved back to Europe in 1959 and quickly found himself in the company of the international network of Fluxus artists, such as Robert Filliou, Dieter Roth, Dorothy Iannone, Daniel Spoerri, Ben Vautier, et al. His artwork embraced the sentiments of the movement. Namely, it's 'anti-art' stance, inherited from the Dadaists, and its emphasis on the event as an artwork (called a Happening or an Action Event). Page performed many Happenings, including one titled Guitar, which involved him in kicking his guitar with the help of an audience along the Mall for the ICA's Misfits concert.[2] Other events involved Page making a chalk portrait drawing of Joseph Beuys, complete with begging bowl, on the pavement in front of the National Gallery.[3]

By 1970, Page left the Fluxus movement and moved to Germany. He began to develop his own brand of cutting edge art and was one of the first artists to employ humour as a means of overtly challenging notions of 'good taste' in the art world. His Hey Wildon paintings stand as one of Page's alter-ego puppets that mocked and commented on 'art' while at the same time embodied the traditional techniques of painting. Page poses the question " Hey, Whildon, why has humour never replaced seriousness as the most respectable cultural attitude?" to which Whildon replies "Because people can't fake it!"

Page's artwork continued to develop an overtly biting and satirical commentary on cultural pretensions. By 1987 he had "died and gone to Bluebeard" which involved him in dying his beard blue (executed by Mike Spike Froidl - see the appropriate painting here) and producing a series of paintings that appropriate elements from poster and propaganda art. His Bluebeard AMuseum further places Page at the forefront of contemporary art; by both mocking the notion of the Institution and placing himself at the centre of his art 'collection', Page challenges the very basis upon which power is assigned to private and state run and cultural organisations. One notable example is the painting Freedom is a Burning Brush which features the artist posing as the Statue of Liberty holding a paintbrush as a torch.

Happenings (Action Events)

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

Group exhibitions

Publications

References

  1. ↑ Robin Page obituary
  2. ↑ (Marlee Robinson, 1988, Exhibition Catalogue).
  3. ↑ (Action Art, J. Gray, ISBN 0-313-28916-6)
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