VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

The Jung Center of Houston presents Testing the Waters: Robert Batterton, on view October 1 through October 28.

In his drawings and paintings, Robert Batterton weaves in works of mystery and the ethereal alongside images of the everyday. Winged figures, animal companions, caverns, and old family snapshots are among the subject matter.

Robert Batterton is known for expressive figurative drawings and paintings that evoke another place and time. Chiaroscuro is often employed to give light and shadow a metaphorical meaning, as well as for its graphic qualities. Subject matter may be derived from the artist’s old family snapshots, observations of nature’s light effects, memory, and symbolism. Some of the more ephemeral images contain winged figures that speak of another realm or sense of a guardian presence. The figure of a dog, with its air of a companion/guardian, is often included in the work. His recent large scale charcoal drawings evoke a cast of characters and scenarios that speak of a small town – representational, yet sometimes, in a mysterious atmosphere.

Born in Texas, Batterton has shown his drawings, paintings, and prints throughout the country. He earned a BFA from the University of Texas at Austin and a MFA from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. Awards include full scholarship to Yale University Summer School of Music and Art at Norfolk and a Ford Foundation study grant.

Among the galleries and museums that have exhibited his work are Klaudia Marr Gallery, Santa Fe, NM; Berta Walker Gallery, Provincetown, MA; the Albright Knox, Buffalo, NY; Museum of the Southwest, Midland, TX; and galleries in Soho, NYC. Museum collections include Harwood Museum, Taos; Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock; and Dallas Museum of Art.

Robert currently lives and works in Taos, NM.