Whether his work is in paint or sculpture, Mr. Cameron John Robbins’ art pulses with life and vitality. From the subtlest gesture to the anomalous symmetry of form, the charming idiosyncrasies which make individuals unique are lovingly depicted.
“Nothing teaches us about ourselves better than the study of others. That is why figurative art is the most inspiring, and perhaps the most challenging to produce. We are looking at ourselves. We are depicting ourselves as we think we are, or as we would like to be. This is one of the passions which drive my creative process.”
Many of Mr. Robbins’ works are depictions of literary characters, and while they are fittingly heroic and grand, there is a powerfully gritty realism to them. The postures and expressions seem to crackle with life, as if the figures might burst into action at any moment. Yet in the faces there is also expressed an inner story. Love, pathos, madness and intensity are all revealed with the subtlety of a great actor. Mr. Robbins’ artworks seem to be alive with palpable feelings and thoughts, with each gesture seeming less like a pose and more like a frozen moment in an ongoing story.
There are also whimsical pieces which radiate a guileless, childlike humor. They are affectionate without being simpering, funny without resorting to mockery. Perhaps therein rests the unifying characteristic of Mr. Robbins’ work. Whether a piece is heroic or humorous, there is a reverence for humanity, a kind of sympathetic humanism which extols the noble and enjoys the silly.
“I believe that every artist must follow their own attractions. By doing so one will inevitably create one’s best work. The works of the old masters and the art which inspired them are what most swell my soul; not just the works of art, but the stories which inspired those works. I am inspired by the characters in great literature and holy writ. I create art inspired by and dedicated to them because I myself want to be surrounded by such art, to be uplifted by it and to be reminded of the ideals toward which humanity must always strive. My portraits are likewise designed to inspire one to be their best self. This is one of the great powers of art. It can uplift, inspire and ennoble us without rhetoric or dogma. Art simply changes us wordlessly and subtly, but irresistibly. What we become will be a reflection of the art which we have surrounded ourselves with.”

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