About

Born in San Diego Robin Stark received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Davis and her Master of Fine Arts from the Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pennsylvania.   Freelancing as a ceramic artist by marketing a body of work at wholesale markets was appealing after graduation but a move to Nevada in the 90's restored her interest in making one-of-a-kind pieces, while working fulltime at an architectural firm coordinating public artwork and producing graphic design.  Years passed and her original passion for art education brought her to the College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas where she leads the ceramic program as a full-time faculty member in the Fine Arts Department.

 

Grants and awards include recognition from City of Las Vegas, the City of Henderson and the Nevada Arts Council.  Robin's ceramic work has also been awarded an Artist Fellowship, a Professional Development Travel Grant, an Artist Fellowship Honorable mention, a Project Grant and three Jackpot Grants from the Nevada Arts Council.

 

Professional service includes functioning as juror (most recent commitments to the City of Las Vegas 2025 Celebrating Life Exhibit), serving as a curator for various local exhibits, providing artist talks and demonstrations, and participating as a member to the Gallery Committee at the College of Southern Nevada.  She has also been involved or lead several commissioned collaborative public art projects with the local community and CSN students.  Most recently she was the Project Creative Director for the Student Ceramic Totem Sculpture installed at the Sculpture Garden at the CSN Fine Arts Gallery.  In 2023, she part of the Design Team for the inaugural Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix Winner Trophies.

 

Artist Statement

Newton's law of gravity states: what goes up, must come down.  Robin lightheartedly compares this theory and its simplicity and directness to how she is motivated to create her ceramic sculptural forms and vessels.  Perceptions and impressions from her experiences eventually come out as emotions or ideas transformed into narrative ceramic objects animated through form, color, and texture.  What she experiences and her inner reactions, must come out.

 

She has a natural connection to clay and glazes with her perceptions flowing easily into the material.  Her creative process is filled with sketches, photographs she has taken, small ceramic models, templates, test tiles of color schemes and textures.  Mid-range white stoneware clays are used with colored slips and underglazes in both contrasting and harmonious combinations.  Glossy surfaces juxtaposed with matte unglazed surfaces reflect light in differing ways.  Negative spaces interplay with positive surfaces of images and color.  Forms can be complex, appearing to be off balance or incredibly simple such as a group of cubes tied together with an image.

 

Her style has ranged from literal interpretations (birds and human figures) to abstract geometric/organic forms.  Themes revolve around an expression of balance between conflicting or contrasting emotions or ideas.