Michael Robinson
Michael Robinson (1948-2010) - Biography
Michael Robert Robinson was a painter, printmaker, glassbower and poet of Cree descent. He was born in 1948 in Timmins, Ontario, Canada. Robinson graduated in 1972 from Sheridan College's School of Design, majoring in Glass. Throughout the 1970s, he was at the forefront of the Canadian glass movement; his ability to use multiple techniques allowed him to create unique works. By the mid-1980s, Robinson was forced to shift mediums due to injuries sustained from a traffic accident; be began making drawings, paintings and prints.
Robinson’s work represented a merging of both traditional and contemporary Indigenous art. While his glass work was modern, his printmaking and illustrations were traditional in style. Robinson exhibited widely throughout Canada, the United States, Switzerland, and Germany. He received several national and provincial awards and his work is held in public and private collections around the world. Robinson died on July 28, 2010 in Peterborough, Ontario.
Selected Exhibitions:
2002 The Guild Shop, Toronto, ON
2002 Gallery Gervik, Toronto, ON
2001 Galerie in Alten Kloster, Koln, Germany
2000 Hettmann Studio, Manitoulin Island, Ontario
2000 Gallery Phillip, Toronto, Ontario
1999 Gallery Indigena, Stratford, Ontario
1999 Gallery Phillip, Toronto, Ontario
1998 McMichael Canadian Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario
1998 Gallery Indigena, Stratford, Ontario
1998 Spirit of the Sun, Arizona, U.S.A
1997 Ottawa School of Art, Ottawa, Ontario
1997 Rail's End Gallery, Haliburton, Ontario
1996 Canada House, Banff, Alberta
1995 Canadian Guild of Crafts, Montreal, Quebec
1993 Karlyn's Gallery, Wisconsin, United States
1993 Galeries Sedunoises, Sion, Switzerland
1993 Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Quebec
1992 Bancroft Art Gallery, Bancroft, Ontario
1992 Kasheese Studio, West Bay, Ontario
1992 Chapel Gallery, Bracebridge, Ontario
1991 Ojibwe Cultural Foundation, West Bay, Ontario
1990 American Indian Archeological Institute, Washington, United States
1990 Hudson Museum, Maine, United States
1990 Holoyoke Museum, Massachusetts, United States
1990 North Bay Arts Centre, North Bay, Ontario
1990 McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario
Permanent Collections:
Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, Ontario
Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Quebec
Glenbow Art Institute, Calgary, Alberta
McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg. Ontario
Museum of Anthropology, Denver, Colorado
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario
Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder, Ontario
Books of Poetry:
Freedom or Silence, 1988, SEN 0-9692185-24
The Earth and The Dancing Man, 1991., ISBN 0-9695225-0-9
Touching The Serpents Tale 1992. ISEN 0-9695225-1-7
A Bird Within a Ring of Fire 1998. ISBN 0-9695225-33
Artist Specialization: Painter, printmaker, glassblower and poet - Along with the story of time and its impact on the land and its occupants, Michael's inspiration for his art is drawn from his spiritual beliefs. Making people aware of the world around them he believes is the only hope for the future. He also sees as so many a need for global balance. It is important that we see the Earth as a living entity - only then can we understand where we fit. Robinson juxtaposed images to create fragments of time, taking the viewer on an immense journey without a beginning or an end. Surreal landscapes come alive and the human realm is metamorphosed into the animal and the spiritual ones. For an incredibly insightful, step by step guide to making a print through the etching process, see Michael Robinson's post on his archived website here: https://web.archive.org/web/20180813080056/http://michaelrobinson.ca/process.html
