Robert Haemmerling's show Transfigurations at PMA, showcases the artist's sculpture and collage, all focused on the human form. His large mixed-media figures utilize assemblage in order to comment satirically on humanity, while his surrealist collages incorporate strange, beautiful and funny images pulled from Western art history's Old Masters.
In the words of Robert Haemmerling: “My works consist of many different images of people compiled into one unique figure. I strive for something which has a universal quality to it, something that is recognizable. The found objects and materials I use help me to be open to the idea of accident and chance. Adding and removing materials throughout the process also allows the piece to emerge as something new and unexpected. It is through this process that I have learned to trust my intuition. If I am lucky, I will be surprised. And if I am surprised, I stay interested. For several years my work has focused on the human figure as well as the occasional dog or two. With each figure I feel I am attempting to create something that has a universal feel to it. A familiar turn of the head or a hand gesture can be the catalyst that starts it all off. As I move forward in the process, the individual figures will take on a much more specific role, complete with names and histories. Taking discarded pieces of wood, metal and cloth out of their original context and combining them in new ways brings out the essence of their previous lives. It is the combination of these found materials that is compelling, because it is open to so many levels of interpretation. I feel I am making order out of chaos, and never sure about how each piece will turn out. The evolution my artwork goes through is what I find surprising and exciting.”
Primavera by Robert Haemmerling
Two sculptures by Robert Haemmerling
Website by Werner Glinka