Bio

A graduate of Willamette University and Portland State University, Robert Schlegel's lifetime commitment to drawing, painting and sculpture has led to numerous solo and group exhibits in California, Montana, Oregon and Washington. His work has been included in the Artists of Oregon juried group show at the Portland Art Museum, the John Natsalous Gallery in Davis California, Steven F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas, KDR-Prographica in Seattle , Koplin Del Rio Gallery in Los Angeles and the Governor’s Office in Salem, Oregon.

From 2012-2013 he was a member of the artists collaborative "13 Hats" with exhibits in Portland and Seattle. Following a 2015 exhibit of multimedia assemblages at Western Oregon University the catalog, "As.sem'.bla.ges" was produced by Train Bell Press with a forward by Roger Hull, Senior Faculty Curator, Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University.

In 2016, an edition of archival ink jet prints, "or fact a formal treatment" was created in collaboration with his son, the poet, Rob Schlegel. Editions of this work are included in permanent collections in Whitman College's Special Collections; Stanford University's Green Library; University of Delaware, Special Collections; Brown University's John Hay Library and Yale's Beinecke Library.

In the fall of 2016, Schlegel was featured on Oregon Public Broadcasting's Art Beat. The Rock Creek Campus of Portland Community College purchased a sculpture for their permanent collection also in 2016.

In 2019, Oregon State University purchased a piece from the solo exhibit, “Deep Roots of Shapes” for the Art About Agriculture permanent collection and several pieces were juried into the “Contemporary Drawings in the Pacific Northwest” at Eastern Washington University.

Robert lives and works in the foothills of the Coast Range west of Portland where he shares a studio with his brother.

Artist Statement

The interaction of shape, contrast and line cause me to transform forms into images in paintings, collage and prints. Of particular interest to me are structures that are juxtaposed into landscape. I strive to create images that possess tension between the representational and the abstract.

I paint in the studio and plein aire from preliminary sketches in charcoal, pencil and oil pastel and take reference photographs as necessary. My finished paintings are in oils and acrylics on gesso prepared paper, panel and canvas. I also create monotypes and images from cut paper and collage. Drawing is the foundation for my work. I am tenacious with the sketch whether it be in a life-drawing session or in the field. I fill journals with sketches and narratives from travels. Through line, contrast, texture, color and composition I explore my responses to form and shape where objects in the natural world and objects that are man madecollide.

Mixed media assemblages have provided an additional focus of work that is related to structure, shape and texture. These works tend to be representational and reflect the environment in which I live.