Teresa Robinett

Jan 12 - Feb 2, 2019

Teresa Robinett's exhibit features recent figurative paintings that incorporate primal art elements to explore narratives about female identity.  Most of the subjects in this select group of paintings are from childhood, where she says, "All of our stories begin." 

"Big Girl" shows a young girl with a bruised eye and swollen lip and is inspired by the day Robinett's sister fell down the basement stairs and almost lost an eye.  Her sister's face was permanently scarred and the event became a cautionary tale within the family about being safe, not running down stairs, and the importance of paying attention. A tale that focused on fear and a warning not to be clumsy.  What if, the artist suggests, her sister's story was instead one about her courage, bravery and survival.

​In the painting "Big Girl" the young girl is shown facing forward with her injuries, while a small mask is stitched atop her head to symbolize her as a character transformed.  She became not just a bruised girl, but something else.  Masks and costumes have the power to create a new identity and a new narrative.