Painting

The juxtaposition of surreal elements against abstract backgrounds evokes a sense of paradox, where the past and the future converge in a single, transcendent moment. Santoré’s deliberate blend of these artistic styles invites viewers to embark on a deeply introspective journey, exploring the intricacies of time, memory, and the intricate tapestry of human emotions.

“I Remember The Future, Yet I Look Forward To The Past” represents Robert Santoré’s relentless artistic exploration and evolution. With this series, he presents a captivating visual narrative that speaks to the profound complexities of the human experience, enticing viewers to reflect on their own perceptions of time, memory, and the boundless possibilities that lie ahead. Santoré’s ability to merge disparate artistic elements into a cohesive whole showcases his extraordinary talent and cements his place as a visionary artist pushing the boundaries of contemporary art.

These monumental and large scale compositions center on ethereal, gestural figures within the energy of expansive, disparate colour filled urban landscapes.

While some appear more clearly, other figures are defined by lyrical swathes of paint suggesting a face, the outline of a body, intertwined within tidal flows of shoreline currents, the sounds of the city and the inner voice of the artist.

Robert purposefully leaves the origin, gender, and raison d’être of the forms within his paintings up to interpretation, allowing the viewer to step into his world, yet form their own reading of his work. 

The resulting powerful works vibrate with energy, emotion and movement both in nature and media.

Many of his early works such as FAMOUS (1988) depict single words in a strong typographic format or font. A more brooding atmosphere emerges in the later series, HIGH YIELD JUNK BOND (1989), which illustrates the words overlaid with imagery recalling declining Southern California industrial complexes.

“I’ve made paintings from verbatim with words from lyrics in music or certain sections of books. Of course the words use come from every source. Sometimes they come from a conversation in a podcast and sometimes in one on one conversations, or things see on the street. I’ve had ideas come to me literally in my sleep, on the subway, or while sitting in the lineup surfing. I tend to lean into these ideas and on blind faith feel obliged to use.”

Other works such as FITS & STARTS (2019), FAST FOOD (2021) &  PÃPƏL NUNCIO (2022) reference advertising while setting the text against iconic abstraction of cold war and space race era imagery Santoré witnessed as a child of a military family during the Vietnam War. His keen interest in the Apollo Moon missions as a child resonates as well as his introduction  to renaissance masterworks retooled and germane to current commercial and social media trends.