Robert Therrien United States, 1947-2019

I try to stay with themes or objects or sources I can trace back to my personal history. The further back I can trace something as being meaningful to me in some way or another… the more I am attracted to it.

-Robert Therrien

 

The lushly colored storybook image in Robert Therrien's No Title (1996) speaks of childhood curiosity and a parent's instinct to preserve the fleeting days of innocence through the fantastical story of where babies come from. The exaggerated length of the stork's beak tenderly delivering the parcel punctuates the absurdity of this fable. Like much of Therrien's work, No Title tells the story of the surreal realms that exist between dreams, mythology and childhood memories.

 

Robert Therrien was known for his whimsical, large-scale sculptures of everyday objects such as dishes, tables and chairs. These installations often inspire a childlike awe that summon the sensation of being little again, a time when anything is possible. His work wryly recalls the wonders and trepidation of youth.

 

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