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Heavy Metal
Exhibition dates: December 12, 2020 – January 8, 2021
An exhibition honoring the 95th birthday of Robert Ernst Marx. This solo exhibition will include a collection of new and recent paintings with metal leaf along with bronze sculpture. While Robert is no longer with us, his voice lives on through his work and we can all benefit from listening.
Artwork copyright retained by Robert Ernst Marx.
"The Tolerant Miss Mabel"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2009
Bronze
9.5in x 8.5in
x
"What Does a Lie Do To the Liar"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen
24in x 20in
x
"Separated Child"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen
24in x 22in
x
"Lutheran Spinster"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2016
Oil on linen
14in x 11in
x
"Protector of Lost Souls"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2020
Bronze
12in x 11in
x
"Legends are Lessons"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2014
Bronze
53in x 30in x 3in
x
"Lutheran Spinster"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2016
Oil on linen
14in x 11in
x
"No Regrets"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2020
Oil on linen with gold leaf
24in x 20in
x
"Epilogue "
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen with gold leaf
38in x 42in
x
"Venerable Angel"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2004
Bronze
5.5in x 3.5in x 5in
x
"Venerable Angel"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2004
Bronze
5.5in x 3.5in x 5in
x
"Dim-sided Duncan"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2004
Oil on linen
17in x 15in
x
"Rosina"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2020
Oil on linen with silver leaf
9in x 8in
x
"Keeper of Evil Birds"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2018
Oil on linen with gold leaf
36in x 30in
x
"I have favorite themes. I am troubled by:
The arrogance of power.
The exclusivity of the institutions of church and state.
The abuse of and by both spouse and child, and our own
and others’ personal fears and insecurities.
We are also to some degree trapped by the conventions
we have chosen to impose upon ourselves.
While painful to express, these themes desperately need expression, and I have done it by creating my own visual language while building upon the inventions of my artistic ancestors. For example, Picasso was the first to paint a dismembered human body to convey a sense of futility.
I also use symbols: mannequins, masks, and dangling
limbs on puppet strings, as my visual 'shorthand' for the controlling forces which frustrate us all.
I work not only for myself, but also to make a connection with you. I do so as elegantly as I can and with an ambiguity that invites you to join your interpretation with my own.
If I am successful, my people will now make eye contact with you, and our dialogue will begin."
—Robert Ernst Marx
"The Headstrong Ms. Bertha"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2020
Oil on linen
24in x 20in
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
"The Watchman"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen with palladium leaf
14in x 11in
x
"The Guardian of Hope"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen
20in x 16in
x
"Stilling the Human Voice"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2012
Oil on linen with gold leaf
48in x 54in
x
"Remembrance of a Graveled Past"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2020
Oil on linen with gold leaf
50in x 38in
x
"Dejected"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen with gold leaf
24in x 20in
x
"Nicola"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen with gold leaf
14in x 11in
x
"Laura"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen with gold leaf
15in x 10in
x
x
Exhibition Walkthrough
On December 12, 2020, executive director and curator of Main Street Arts, Bradley Butler will hold a virtual walkthrough of the Heavy Metal exhibition. The virtual walkthrough will take place live on Facebook at 5:30 p.m. EST and be immediately shared to the the gallery's YouTube channel.
"A Gathering of Faults"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen
34in x 30in
x
"She of the Lonely People"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2020
Oil on linen with gold leaf
28in x 22in
x
"Dim-sided Duncan"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2004
Oil on linen
17in x 15in
x
"Venerable Angel"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2004
Bronze
5.5in x 3.5in x 5in
x
"Epilogue "
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen with gold leaf
38in x 42in
x
"No Regrets"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2020
Oil on linen with gold leaf
24in x 20in
x
"Rosina"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2020
Oil on linen with silver leaf
9in x 8in
x
"Lutheran Spinster"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2016
Oil on linen
14in x 11in
x
"Protector of Lost Souls"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2020
Bronze
12in x 11in
x
x
View additional images from the exhibition
on the gallery's Flickr page.
"Broken Dreams"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen
34in x 32in
x
"The Patient Prodigal"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen
30in x 24in
x
"Keeper of Evil Birds"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2018
Oil on linen with gold leaf
36in x 30in
x
"The Guardian of Hope"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen
20in x 16in
x
"The Watchman"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen with palladium leaf
14in x 11in
x
x
"Remembrance of a Graveled Past"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2020
Oil on linen with gold leaf
50in x 38in
x
"Dejected"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen with gold leaf
24in x 20in
x
"Nicola"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen with gold leaf
14in x 11in
x
"Laura"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen with gold leaf
15in x 10in
x
Robert's Exhibition
History at Main Street Arts
Robert has shown work in several exhibitions at Main Street Arts starting in 2014.
2014, Being Human
2017, Re-emerging Artists
2019, Silent Voices…Silent Rooms
2020, Painters Painting Painters
2020, Heavy Metal
2014, Being Human was a group show including 10 artists whose work focused on contemporary portraiture and figurative works in a variety of media.
2014, Being Human was a group show including 10 artists whose work focused on contemporary portraiture and figurative works in a variety of media.
2017, Re-emerging Artists brought together the work of Robert Marx and John Greene and included paintings, sculpture, prints, and drawings.
2017, Re-emerging Artists brought together the work of Robert Marx and John Greene and included paintings, sculpture, prints, and drawings.
2019, Silent Voices…Silent Rooms was Robert's first solo exhibition at Main Street Arts and included paintings, drawings, and prints.
2019, Silent Voices…Silent Rooms was Robert's first solo exhibition at Main Street Arts and included paintings, drawings, and prints.
2020, Painters Painting Painters included the work of 22 regional painters. We paired each of the artists and tasked them with making a painting of another painter in the exhibition.
2020, Painters Painting Painters included the work of 22 regional painters. We paired each of the artists and tasked them with making a painting of another painter in the exhibition.
x
"Carissa"
by Robert Ernst Marx
2019
Oil on linen with palladium leaf
9 x 9
x
Presentation Print 1986
"Frederick Douglas"
by Charles Wells
Etching
x
Presentation Print 1999
"Boathouse with Mast"
by Paul Resika
Etching, Aquatint
x
Presentation Print 1995
"Shell #5"
by Konstantin Chmutin
Mezzotint
x
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