Browsing by Author "Robinson, Cory"

Now showing 1 - 10 of 17
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    Beyond Vernacular
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2012-04-13) Robinson, Cory
    The poster describing my IAHI projects will focus on the creation of a body of work titled Beyond Vernacular. This new IAHI supported work was completed in November 2011. The work was exhibited at the Institute for Contemporary Art at the Maine College of Art in Portland Maine.
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    Connecting Points in the Void
    (2023) Rasure, Kara Beth; Robinson, Cory; Holder, Dawn; Furqueron, Reagan
    This research argues that optimistic Nihilism provides a unique perspective for exploring the concept of loss and the intrinsic relationship between loss and meaning. By examining various forms of loss and their impact on human experience, the research reveals that mystical meanings can be found in the most nihilistic spaces. Creativity and making serve as a function in coping with loss in the human condition.
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    Direct Radical intuition: DE-centering the black box within MA 'space-time interval'
    (2013-05) Ellis, Charles Stephen; Robinson, Cory
    DIRECT Rad·i·cal in·tu·i·tion: DE-centering the black box within MA ‘space-time interval’ The process in the creation of my work in ‘studio furniture’ and the underlying research has its INTENTIONS in the elaboration of how ideas as ‘Direct Radical Intuition’ steeped in an Eastern perspective can be manifested into the ‘presence of making’. EXPLORATIONS into the physical making of the works will be revealed as ASSOCIATIONS in personal narratives describing how and why the process unfolds in Japanese Zen and Western Post Modern philosophical contexts. CONNECTIONS will be made through the forms of wedges and shims in the works to underpin how the Japanese concept of MA; ‘space- time interval’ and Post Modernist concept of de-centering is ‘working in the works.’ ‘Direct Radical Intuition’ allows the designer/ artist to look within and beyond self and culturally imposed boundaries. This insight leads toward an effortlessness embodied in a Zen saying of ichi-go ichi-e; ‘one time, one meeting.’ IMPLICATIONS thus can be made into the ‘presence of making’ that informs ‘a way of seeing’ into the vast creative human potentials. Charles S. Ellis_ 05.22.2013
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    Embodied History: The Pursuit of Empathy through Women’s Work and Material Intelligence
    (2024) Ford, Allison; Robinson, Cory; Holder, Dawn; Coleman, Aaron
    Throughthe utilization of embodied histories, matriarchal traditions, and timeless materials, my artistic practice serves as a visual language that fosters empathy by inviting viewers to reflect on their own lives. This exploration encompasses themes of motherhood, domesticity, nature, memory, and place, intertwining personal narratives with universal experiences. By employing millennia-old materials such as clay, wood, and metal, imbued with rich craft histories, my work facilitates connection ans communication with others, ultimately acting as a therapeutic endeavor that nurtures empathy.
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    Engaging Disadvantaged Youth in the Creative Process
    (2014) Ehrsam, Bradley; Robinson, Cory
    Public Practice is vital for personal and cultural development and it connects individuals to the larger world. Art enables creative exploration, helps build confidence, and enables children in disadvantaged schools to take part in a positive creative process that subsequently affects their school, community, and ability to take control of their future. As more research is conducted in this field, researchers are finding that art levels the "learning field" across socio-economic boundaries, improves student retention and reduces the achievement gap.
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    Illuminated Structures
    (2012-05) Edwards, Vincent; Robinson, Cory
    My thesis work consists of sculptural wooden furniture, which is built using a ‘skin on frame’ technique. One piece uses wooden slats as the ‘skin’ while the other pieces utilize a Dacron fabric skin stretched over a wooden framework. The goal of the work is to operate as aesthetically driven sculpture while retaining a deeply functional furniture element. By creating functional work that the viewer can use, I hope to provide a more intimate experience wherein the viewer’s body interacts directly with the work, resulting in a deeper connection between the viewer and the artwork.
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    The Legacy of the Individual
    (2014) Tury, Colin; Robinson, Cory
    What does it mean to be the Maker? In today’s society, with CNC technology and the ability to create objects without having to physically interact with the medium at hand, why would anyone expel energy doing things “traditionally”? One merely needs to know how to navigate a digital checklist to operate such advanced technology. The internet makes learning this technology even easier. With the help of online tutorials and forums, anyone can get a crash course in such powerful technology. I am not opposed to such technology, for I see it as just a tool that can enable one to work more efficiently if needed, but that is not the question. In a discipline full of artists, craftsmen, fabricators, designers, design-builders, and so on, how does one coexist without being lost in the sea of titles? And more importantly, why do we attempt to define ourselves? I am a maker because it is not about the title, it is about the act.
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    Modern Groove
    (2014-05) Ladwig, Samuel; Robinson, Cory
    Robert Venturi’s assertion that “Orthodox Modern[ists] have tended to recognize complexity insufficiently or inconsistently” is at the heart of the disconnection between modernist and post-modernist responses to the world around us and represents the primary rift in the modernist continuum (Venturi, 1966). Whether for rhetorical impact or his own dogmatic beliefs, the point that Venturi failed to acknowledge is that often designers do not choose to “eschew ambiguity” because they don’t recognize complexity. Rather some prefer clarity as a natural reaction to complexity, and some fifty years after his “gentle manifesto” the search for order in a chaotic world is still an important creative imperative. The goal of my research is not to argue against the merits of embracing complexity directly. It is to create a personal guidebook for why I choose not to. My work is not a misguided attempt to suggest that life and the world are simple. My tendency to favor the design principle of unity over variety is due to my appreciation for the preciousness of aesthetically quiet moments precisely because the world is complex. I prefer to use formal qualities to create harmony rather than tension in an attempt to create elegant moments as a counterbalance to a sometimes chaotic existence. Throughout this investigation I have also realized that there is an important distinction to be made between the goals and responsibilities of a furniture designer as opposed to other disciplines, and I have found there to be more latitude within furniture to embrace post-modernist ideas than I originally expected. Scale and the use of furniture automatically make it able to have specific conversations with the user and viewer, but similar to my thoughts on architecture, furniture’s lifespan and prominence in an environment make overtly ironic compositions difficult for me to justify when the user must interact with the work daily. With some pieces I have purposefully experimented with the effects that furniture and posture can have on the user, and I have embraced the use of metaphor and semiology to extend the potential of my furniture to communicate visually more effectively. I believe that chronological distance from the hardline orthodoxy that Venturi challenged has given me more freedom to utilize post-modern concepts without feeling the need to use them as an argument for or against modernism, but it is still important to me that complexities and contradictions in my designs are perceived as whispers rather than screams.
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    Objects for Engaging Community
    (2016) McNeelan, Kimberly; Robinson, Cory; Holzman, Laura; Nordgulen, Eric
    A strong community has regard for ecological health, personal health, and intellectual health for everyone. As an artist and a designer, I create functional sculptures that encourage awareness and action towards creating a more vibrant society comprised of strong communities. These intriguing forms entice viewers to investigate what the sculptures offer. The take away may be a book, a packet of seeds for plants that will benefit pollinating insects, a seedling to grow your own vegetable plant, or just the thought that these elements are part of a healthy and locally focused community. Through my art and woodworking, I strive to have a conversation with the public about what is needed for a satisfactory life.
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    Of a Time and Place
    (2021-05) Cecil, Justin; Farrow, Vance; Robinson, Cory; Setser, Meredith
    The silhouettes incorporated into my work are used for obscurity. They often feature the mundane, ordinary people whose stories could only be imagined. Sometimes they focus on recognizable figures but presenting them in shadow forces the viewer to think about them more carefully. These silhouettes also represent the current sociopolitical climate of the United States. Events and atrocities highlighted one day will be forgotten the next. Simple ideas or phrases collected from the daily news often spark ideas for new work. Creating work about these events allows me to spend more time with them and in a way makes them more tangible. This allows me to think more carefully about what is happening around me. My work is also a type of preservation of events that will outlive their news cycle and ultimately outlive me.