Daily Inspiration: Meet Robert Martin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Martin. 

Hi Robert, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in the Upper Midwest, and grew up all around the woods of Wisconsin. The culture of the rural Midwest marked me, I’d say, in ways, I’m still parsing out. I was the high-achieving class president type in high school but embraced the townie lifestyle when I decided to stay in my hometown for college. I earned my BFA in Studio Art from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 2017, spent a year in Minneapolis selling doughnuts, and then moved to Boulder in 2018 to earn my MFA in Studio Practices at CU (Painting & Drawing, 2021). I’ve been fortunate to have exhibited works at Bermudez Projects in Los Angeles, 1969 Gallery in New York, GOCA in Colorado Springs, Sierra Arts Gallery in Reno, IDS Tower in Minneapolis, and the Valley in Taos. Perhaps most import… I had the opportunity in 2020 to be a Rough Gems Curator at Union Hall here in Denver, which connected me to many of the people I work most closely with today. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve always been comfortable with and motivated by stress, and I definitely have that really strong (read: toxic) Midwestern work ethic wherein worth is connected to productivity. Throughout my undergraduate experience, I was regularly working three part-time jobs on top of being a full-time art student. Looking back, it was downright ridiculous and I wish I would have just taken advantage of the student loans, but at the time I felt like I had to do it all. That’s been how I’ve approached most things in life, with a steadfast “yes” mentality. 

This past Spring, in my thesis semester at CU Boulder, I was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes. It definitely came at me from left field, and in a season of my life where I felt like I needed to prove myself through my work the most, I was forced to slow down. Suddenly I was saddled with an all-new way of being, requiring constant attention toward my body and the way it was feeling. I was never more aware of what I was putting into my body, and what I was expecting it to provide for me. I’m still figuring out the balance, but I can appreciate the way this obstacle has pushed me to find a new way of being. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Every year while growing up, I would attend the Birds in Art exhibition at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, WI with my grandparents. And, everyone’s homes were decked to their ceilings in wildlife art – romanticized visions of the world around them by artists such as Terry Redlin and Thomas Kinkade. It was really clear what constituted “art” in the upper Midwest, and while I pushed hard against this, I haven’t lost comfort in the visual language of wildlife art. Just as I haven’t lost appreciation for my upbringing. 

Though, through distance, I’ve gained a more critical perspective. Queerness is not absent from the American hinterland. In fact, I see it everywhere. The trouble comes from a lack of acknowledgment, and the bleeding of human heteronormative perceptions over the natural, fluid environment. Within my art practice, I create work that visually presents rather “ruralcore”. That is, I am using the visual language and motifs of this genre to communicate queer themes, identities, and storylines on the rural American stage. Conversely, in generating ruralcore art, I extend an invitation to those who may feel excluded by the sometimes-elitist nature of the art world and its institutions. 

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Intention, more than anything and across all aspects of life, seems to be what matters most to me. Actions/words/art/relationships…. any of these without intention feel empty, and sometimes potentially even dangerous. In art-making specifically, creating without intention can feel like show-and-tell or just showing off something you know or can do. 

However, to me personally, my Craigslist-adopted senior Boston Terrier certainly matters a great great deal. 

Contact Info:

• Email: robert.m.buehler@gmail.com
• Website: https://linktr.ee/robertmartinart
• Instagram: @robertmartinart