Gesturally Figurative: The Art Portfolio of Dick Roberts
The Ladder, oil and mixed media on canvas
Dick Roberts is an artist from Durham and now based in Wilmington, North Carolina. In his artistic practice, Dick works in a style that ranges from totally abstract to gesturally figurative. The artist adapts his style expertly to different media and subjects.
It’s really interesting to see an artist with such a wide range of media in their portfolio. Though it changes to suit different media, Dick has a distinctive style whether he’s working in paint, pastel, collage, or ceramic. The artist’s eye for warm colours and a focus on loose, confident lines and brush marks shines through on any surface. Dick’s recent paintings, made primarily in oil and mixed media on canvas, utilize bold complementary colour schemes, blending blues and yellows, and overlaying images with splatters and lines of pure black and white.
Dick’s treatment of the human figure is interesting as well -- in collages, body prints, and nude pastel studies, the artist explores different facets of the body -- from impressions and fragments to more detailed observational sketches.
