Robert Bissell

ROBERT BISSELL

Robert Bissell spent his childhood on a farm in Somerset, where animals, Celtic legends and panoramic landscapes were a part of his daily life. His interest in visual art began at an early age, photographing the wildlife around him through photographs. After studying art at the Manchester College of Arts and Technology, Bissell moved to London for post-graduate work in fine art photography at the Royal College of Art.

© Frankie Frost

At first glance the artist’s style is narrativebased, reminiscent of illustrative children’s books- but on closer inspection there lies a more profound message. Viewers discover that the quizzical, contemplative, menacing, or exultant animals actually represent us.

Bissell’s message is that we are ultimately part of nature, something we may have forgotten. His work encourages us to reflect on nature, the roads we travel, and the choices we make along the way.

"What a wonderful thing it is to come across a clearing in the woods on a summer afternoon with the sunlight illuminating the forest floor. To sit in the shade of a tree and simply rest in contemplation of a beautiful world." —Robert Bissell

Contemplation Oil on canvas 182 x 121 cm

"I remember watching roman candles at a fireworks display and it seemed as if the whole world must have been packed into that tube. At rapid speed, it spewed out arcs of light and stars in all kinds of colors and shapes that excited and mesmerized everyone. Is this is how life begins?" — Robert Bissell

Inception Oil on canvas 76 x 71 cm

"If you look up the word ‘vitality’ in the dictionary you will find the following descriptive words: liveliness, life, energy, spirit, vivacity, exuberance, buoyancy, bounce, elan, verve, vim, pep, brio, zest, sparkle, dynamism, passion, fire, vigor, drive. These are the descriptors of our natural world found everywhere in nature, endlessly and eternally. " —Robert Bissell

Majesty Oil on canvas 152 x 182 cm

"As with Presence ll (the pendant to this painting), for many of us being in the presence of a truly wild and free animal is a profound experience that remains with us. In the preface of my book Hero, I wrote about the time I spent with a coyote: 'The presence of the moment was unmistakable. We recognized each other as different beings in the same inexplicable world. This was the commonality between animals and humans that I had read about: that we are flesh and blood, separate, yet manifested as such by the same forces, which neither of us understand.' � — Robert Bissell

Presence I (Elephant) Oil on canvas 152 x 91 cm

"As with Presence l (the pendant to this painting), for many of us being in the presence of a truly wild and free animal is a profound experience that remains with us. In the preface of my book Hero, I wrote about the time I spent with a coyote. 'The presence of the moment was unmistakable. We recognized each other as different beings in the same inexplicable world. This was the commonality between animals and humans that I had read about: that we are flesh and blood, separate, yet manifested as such by the same forces, which neither of us understand.' � —Robert Bissell Presence II (Bear) Oil on canvas 152 x 91 cm

The Ascension Oil on canvas 91 x 121 cm

"The imagery for this painting was derived from a work by Caspar David Friedrich, the German romantic painter. In the foreground we encounter the back of a figure who is observing a column of bears walking through the snow in a forest of cold and naked trees. The scene is solemn and quiet, the column fading into the misty horizon where overhead an intersection of divine light hovers." —Robert Bissell

"I have wanted to do a painting of a panda bear for many years but found it difficult to depict something that is such a universal image for many people. Panda bears seem to be part of a dream for me. For most of us they only exist in images or as effigies.

They are also seen as the symbol for environmental protection. This bear is enjoying a conversation in the quiet of the forest away from human concerns. Long live the panda bear!" —Robert Bissell

The Bamboo Forest Oil on canvas 106 x 101 cm

The Causeway Oil on canvas, 101 x 152 cm "As a child I was fascinated by St. Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, England and it’s twin, Mont Ste. Michel in Normandy, France. From afar the island seems full of mystery and promise as a refuge or sanctuary for a weary pilgrim. For this painting, I removed all evidence of human activity on the island and imagined the figures moving toward some ultimate destiny." —Robert Bissell

The Crossing Oil on canvas, 101 x 152 cm "Inspired by stories of Avalon in Arthurian legend and other folklore, this painting depicts a number of figures drifting on logs toward a golden isle. We are invited into the scene to join them and other creatures in this story that has never found an ending, the quest for the unreachable." —Robert Bissell

The Flood Oil on canvas, 91 x 121 cm

The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn Oil on canvas 76 x 101 cm

"This painting refers to the short story that is part of Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows. Part of the text reads as follows: 'Breathless and transfixed the Mole stopped rowing as the liquid run of that glad piping broke on him like a wave, caught him up, and possessed him entirely.' Here, I have imagined Pan as a wolf baying at the beginning of the day, the animals attentive as they wake up to the music." —Robert Bissell

Genesis #8 Oil on canvas 118 x 97 cm

Genesis #4 Oil on canvas 118 x 97 cm

The Enchantment Oil on canvas 147 x 76 cm

Secret Song Oil on canvas 97 x 82 cm

Thunder Oil on canvas 118 x 97 cm

The Chase #2 Oil on canvas 91 x 113 cm

Selected Exhibitions 2014

2012

Private Reception, Chloe Fine Arts, San Francisco Robert Bissell Show, Marcus Ashley Gallery, South Lake Tahoe, USA Private Show, Lahaina Galleries, San Francisco Robert Bissell – One Man Show, Borsini-Burr Gallery, Montara, USA Art of Aloha, Lahaina Galleries, San Francisco

2011

Gaslamp District 2 Day Event, Exclusive Collections Gallery, San Diego

2010

2009

Lake Tahoe 2 Day Event, Marcus Ashley Gallery, South Lake Tahoe, USA First Anniversay Show, Chloe Fine Arts, San Francisco Bissell Show & Reception, Borsini-Burr, Montara, USA Imaginary Realism Group Show, Chloe Fine Arts, San Francisco Bissell Animal & Landscape Paintings | Views from Inside & Out, Chloe Fine Arts, San Francisco Open House, Borsini-Burr, Montara, USA Gallery Opening and Group Show, Chloe Fine Arts, San Francisco

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