Robert Youds, a brief narrative:
I have been working and exhibiting my artwork professionally since the late 1970s. While I initially began my career as a painter, by the early 80s I became interested in issues of colour and space beyond the limitations of the historically preordained aesthetic boundaries. These goals developed into my career-long query of real space and its relationship to the constructed object. Perhaps by today’s standards this may no longer seem like such a radical claim, but with a few exceptions of internationally known artists like Judd, Stella, Palermo, Truit, Flavin, Pfaff, Irwin—among other notables of the time—there were not many artists significantly contributing toward the jurisdictional shift away from the identifying areas of sculpture and painting. This change in my work was also being driven my growing interest in architecture and industrial design. I saw these professional fields as holding even further possibilities for my art within the social and psychological realms of the viewer experience.
Originally from Vancouver, Robert currently lives in Victoria, BC, after having moved from Toronto, ON. He taught at the University of Victoria until 2020.
Robert’s work is in the public collections of the National Gallery of Canada, Vancouver Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Ontario, Surrey Art Gallery, Remai Modern, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Confederation Center Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and numerous other public and private collections.
Robert has written texts for artist’s catalogues, curated exhibitions and participated in public commissions.
To see a full list of Robert’s exhibitions, collections, catalogues etc click here: http://www.robertyouds.ca/exhibitions/collections/catalogues
Contact: ryouds@uvic.ca
