Brief Bio Outline(2)

I.

Biography A. First Years a) Grew up in Shaker Heights, Cleveland b)At a young age, exhibited artistic talent B. Education and Experiences a) Studied science, engineering, visual arts, and humanities at MIT on scholarship b)Influenced by Gyorgy Kepes, a philosopher of an art/technology movement Fisher advocated c)Awarded Fulbright fellowship in 1061-62, which allowed him to study in Scandinavia. 1. Influenced by the way artists in Scandinavia integrated their efforts into the culture d)Also studied architecture in rome 1. Discovered the works of Carlo Scarpa: an acclaimed Italian contemporary artist a. Fostered Fisher’s interest in the integration of art and architecture e)Pursued masters degree in industrial design @ Syracuse university 1. Co-authored a book on visual design, “The Design Continuum”. C. Academic Career a)Lectured profusely in Europe, Far East, and US including Colorado state university, University of Illinois, Penn state, and was senior research artist at Carnegie Mellon university. b)Artistic director of science programs funded by the National Science Foundation D. Artistic Career a)Interest in larger scale pieces led to Fisher using innovative computer visualization to model his complex objects (1979)

1. Considered a pioneer in the application of computer to art b)Seminal examples of the use of computer in art: 1. “Osaka skyharp” 2. “northern lights” 3. “galaxy” c)Awarded the major public art commission for the Philadelphia international airport arrivals hall d)Was on the Executive Board of Directors of the Internation Sculpture Center and was the program chair of the 19th International Sculpture Conference held in Pittsburgh in 2001. e)He also serves as a Visual Arts Panelist for the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts 1. The artwork was selected for the commission: “American Dream” f)Critically acclaimed sculptures: 1. “Diherdrals” for gateway exchange in Columbia, MD 2. “Slice of Life” for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals in Wilmington, DE 3. “Sea Creatures” at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce, FL 4. “Reigning Knowledge” for the National Education Association in Washington, DC g)Has various sculptures installed at the Penn State Applied Research Lab h)Suspended art works can be found at Horizon Suite Hotel, Hong Kong; Christ Clinic, Cincinnati, Ohio; WakeMed Hospital, Cary, NC; North Colorado Medical Center, Greeley, CO; Piedmont Natural Gas headquarters, Charlotte, NC; Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Eugene, OR i) Works have been displayed in public and private museum collections Style and Technique II.

Style and Technique

I.

Style A. Movement a) Allows small movements in art like (#1,2,3) b) Creates piece around central frame that directs the eye around (#4,5,6,7)In the spirals, your eye sees the external spiral along with the inner piece, the spiral isn’t as interesting but it still helps your eye travel in a circular fashion over and over the entire work. c) (#5)With the metal frame the interconnecting steel actually helps to transfer the eye from one plate to another rand notice the slight differences in light B. Color a) Varies color to help direct the eye in a piece. In (#6) your eye is drawn to the center of the circle because of the bright orange, but fades up and down in pretty pinks that really give the character to the piece. b) In (#4) there are large leaflike structures in the middle, in colors that leaves never really get. These splashes of color add texture and variety to the sculpture and help encourage the movement of the eye (from one piece of blue to another, from blue to green to red…etc) C. Depth a) Overlays one part of a sculpture over another, creating a depth that changes based on where you look at it. (#2,4,7) b) Creates a work of art that is displayed in a way that you have to see more than just one part, or can literally see through it to another section or piece. (#3)

II.

Technique A. Hanging works a) By hanging whole works (#1,2,3) they are suspended, not always rigidly, which lets them flutter slightly in a breeze or draft, giving them a slight sense of movement b) Hanging also lets him make creative use of the wire/cording/cable that is helping keep most of the objects

aloft. In (#1,3) he leaves extra cording hanging down below the main pieces to help the eye travel in that vertical way. IT extends the body of the piece without detracting from the focus B. Perspective a) In (#5) Fisher builds a steel frame structure with small bent steel panels to warp the light depending on how you look at it. Depending where you are under the awning they give a different appearance. C. Lighting a) Especially with (#7), Rob Fisher chose lighting to create a change in the monochrome metal instead of leaving it all the same. The added highlights and shadows are just as dramatic as his work with color, and cause our eyes to slowly shift around the piece b) In (#3) the blue ‘pringles’ are suspended near the window of a roof. Because they are translucent, the light flows straight through them in varying shades, allowing the rest of the room to remain lit but always feel the shadow of Form / Shape III. Creative Process related to artist A. Form/Shape i.

Spiral Foundation a) Artist: Used a Circular Spiral Shape to Draw in Eye b) Group: Instead of using a circle we made a spiral coming to a point, like a tornado on its side.

ii.

Interior Hangings a) Artist: Made the shapes fit the circle. As the circle expands the shapes expand as well. b) Group: As the spiral decreased the hangings decreased. The pieces were form fitting.

B. Color i.

Artist

a) Layers colors. Sometimes in and sometimes down but always layered. In one particular piece he has them layered where the both sides are dark and the inside is light. b) Creates a sense of motion ii.

Our Artwork a) Use lighter color first and expanded back to a darker color to focus your attention in to the center. This also created the central feel created by the spiral.

C. Materials i.

The Artist a) Ring: Used Shiny Metal for the ring. b) Panels: Thin, appearing to be weightless.

ii.

Our Work

a) Ring: Used Plastic tube that had a shiny affect. We tried using an air duct but size and stability were going to be an issue so we used the tubing. Ring: Used Plastic tube that had a shiny affect. We tried using an air duct but size and stability were going to be an issue so we used the tubing. Our spiral structure consist of three loops gradually increasing in size from smallest to largest. b) Panels: light, thin, construction paper. D. Inspiration i. Artist a) Mixture from nature, some man made. Lantern, Medieval Helmet, Pine cones, light house. ii.

Our Work a) “Protos” – Rob Fisher, “Lanterna” – Rob Fisher, and a tornado

V. Our work A. object of design is to draw eye inwards B. This is done by having the smaller end of the piece designated as the main entrance. The viewer’s eye is now drawn into the structure. C. The loops help draw the eye along the piece, bringing attention to the shapes inside and the overall center of the artwork.