Artist Portfolio: Robert Brinker Chasing Dragons

Chasing Dragons

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

There is an inherent balance in Robert Brinker’s art that works on every level. The boldness of the dragons belies the delicate nature of the paper from which he cuts them.

The dragons tell a story, and the complexity of the imagery invites exploration. They are packed with visual symbology that juxtapose strength and weakness; masculinity and femininity; sensationalism and intimacy. As with historical fiction, Brinker’s dragons employ myths and iconography to reveal truths while sparking imagination.

Robert’s process starts by hand cutting lines into appropriated materials: adult magazines, album covers, art catalogues, and movie posters; more imagery is then cut and inlaid into the original line work. The resultant surface tapestry provides the starting point for the series. He scans the inlaid materials and prints them onto large paper sheets before cutting the largest dragons – some measure 5’ wide!

Mike McClung and Warren Campbell

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Bougereau's Dragon, 55”x45”, hand cut paper Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Cherry Dragon, 41”x35”, hand cut paper Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Dream Girls Dragon, 51”x44”, hand cut paper Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Emmanuelle V Dragon, 35”x55”, hand cut paper

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Fantasy Dragon, 48”x37”, hand cut paper Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Femme Fatale Dragon, 32.5”x45”, paper cut

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

First Kiss Dragon, 44”x32.5”, hand cut paper Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Genesis, 41”x55”, hand cut paper

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Genesis II, 43”x61”, hand cut paper

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Inside Deepthroat Dragon, 52”x39”, hand cut paper Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Lovelace Dragon, 55”x42”, hand cut paper Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Madonna Dragon, 36”x58”, hand cut paper

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

More about the process Robert Brinker’s hand cut works highlight the materiality of the art and the relationship between image and object. Brinker has a background as a fine art printer and is used to incising plates and cutting into blocks in order to create images.

Robert takes this process further, going both forward and back. He employs appropriated images (adult magazines, album covers, art catalogs, movie posters, etc.) and then cuts into them and splices them together, creating objects. These visual tapestries are then scanned and printed, creating new images, before being cut into the paper dragons. The dragons float off the wall or inside the frame, drawing attention to their current condition – they are once again objects.

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Metropolitan Dragon, 32.5”x51”, hand cut paper

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Pink Paris Dragon, 44”x33”, hand cut paper Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Starlets Dragon, 58”x46”, hand cut paper Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Swank Dragon, 68”x46”, hand cut paper Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Too Much Pussy Dragon, 52”x36”, hand cut paper Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Vampire Academy Dragon, 37.5”x61”, hand cut paper

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

White Dragon, 32.5”x51”, hand cut paper

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

XXX Secret Dragon, 56”x34”, hand cut paper Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Zombie Strippers Dragon, 62”x48”, hand cut paper Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Zombie Strippers, Bside, 39”x57”, hand cut paper

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Bits and Pieces Cut paper collages Robert Brinker’s cut paper collages continue his investigation of the relationship between image and object by using the detritus, the scraps. The little bits and pieces of the hand cut dragons fall away, becoming detached from the original image and the current artwork only to be reborn as 3dimensional objects once more.

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Bits and Pieces Cut paper collages

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Clouds Bits and Pieces, 13”x10” Dream Girls Bits and Pieces, 14”x15.25” Emmanuelle 5 Bits and Pieces, 14.75”x15.5” Fantasy Bits and Pieces, 14”x13” Inside Deep Throat Bits and Pieces, 19”x16.25” Pink Paris Bits and Pieces , 16”x14” Too Much Pussy Bits and Pieces, 19”x15“ Vampire Academy Bits and Pieces, 17.25”x16.5" Zombie Strippers Bits and Pieces, 17.75”x13.5”

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Centerfold Paper Cuts The centerfold imagery creates a tension, both physically and psychologically. As is the case with the larger dragons, the interplay between the cutwork and the source material challenges discovery over time.

Each piece provides the opportunity to observe it from a distance and then to see it quite differently upon inspection. There is an initial and constant challenge for the viewer to permit themselves to look. It is difficult to examine the intricate handcraft without focusing on the adult magazines that they are cut from. These works force a constant shifting of the eye – looking at the precise cuts, then the entire work and then back to the magazine.

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

We are fascinated by the historical references found within Robert Brinker’s work. The dragons, chrysanthemums and warrior dogs are all faithful hand cut reproductions of collected woodblock prints.

They reference both ancient and modern cultures: nodding to artwork that has been found in China as early as 200 B.C. while using commercially printed magazines that is of a decidedly modern age.

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

3sum, 10”x12”, cut magazine centerfold

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

B N G, 10”x10”, cut magazine centerfold

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Untitled, 11.5”x16”, cut magazine centerfold

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Double Bonsai, 14.25”x13”, cut magazine centerfold

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Untitled, 10”x10”, cut magazine centerfold

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Untitled, 12.75”x13.75”, cut magazine centerfold

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Kara Vase, 21”x10.5”, cut magazine centerfold Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Celeste Vase, 21”x10.5”, cut magazine centerfold Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Cassandra Vase, 21”x10.5”, cut magazine centerfold Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Dark Angel Dragon, 13.75”x10”, cut magazine centerfold Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Warrior #1, 20.5”x10”, cut magazine centerfold Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Warrior #2, 20.5”x10”, cut magazine centerfold Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Double Dragon, 15.5”x16.5”, cut magazine centerfold

Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com

Artist Statement These new large scale cut paper dragons are made from previously printed images from my Cover Girl Series. The process started by hand cutting lines into a cover of an adult magazine. Then a second magazine cover was cut and inlaid into the open line work. Each cover created a new piece to be inlaid. The finished magazine covers were then scanned and printed on high quality paper by Singer Editions, Boston, MA. The images of dragons flowers come directly from traditional Chinese paper cuts that I have been collecting for several years. I have been making smaller versions using magazine centerfolds since 2007, when I was asked to participate in the 10th anniversary exhibition for The Institute for Electronic Arts at Alfred University, Alfred, NY. The exhibition took place at several galleries and spaces In Beijing, China.

Robert Brinker Michael Warren Contemporary • 760 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 • 303-635-6255 • www.michaelwarrencontemporary.com