Darrah Rose Robinson

(she/her)

Born and raised in San Francisco, Darrah Robinson has been immersed in art and art communities since childhood. She graduated in March 2021 with with a BA in Fine Art with an emphasis in painting, from the College of Creative Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara. She is currently painting and working as an art services consultant in Santa Cruz, CA. She shows regularly at First Fridays in Santa Cruz and other galleries in the Bay Area.

Artist Statement

My paintings are meditations on my daily life, usually depictions of figures I have a relationship with, or would like to have a relationship with. Seeing is the most exciting part of living for me, painting allows me to share what I see with others.

My paintings depict figures suspended in an abstracted space based on a real location. My subjects often include my friends and family– the people I spend the most time with. My work is often inspired by a snapshot I took on my phone, the idea being that I thought there was something about a moment that I am not done thinking about. Painting people I know provides a way for me to spend time practicing gratitude for these people and a way to use what I know about them and how I feel about them to create a compelling composition. Painting strangers is a way for me to connect to them and fight my paranoia. My compositions are constructed with well defined shapes filled with flat color as well as figures and other elements that are more rendered. I choose colors and shapes based on the feelings that arise when I think about a person. The contrast between the flat unmodulated shapes and the rendered figures balances the composition and invites the viewer to contemplate what we focus on and to what degree we abstract and deflect parts of our lives. 

I feel that we often move through life too quickly and miss out on interesting details and the ferocious beauty that surrounds us. Painting gives me an opportunity to take time to absorb and fully experience the moments that fascinate me the most, like siblings sharing a lollipop during a pandemic, or the feeling of being trapped in tragedy when I witnessed close friends grieve the loss of one of their idols. These moments are important to me, and I know others feel the importance of certain moments in their lives too. This will encourage viewers to pause in their own lives and take a longer look at what is important to them. My goal is to encourage people to pause and choose to engage with themselves, and hopefully feel more connected to themselves and others. 

Mission Vision Values

Mission Statement

I create art with the intention of bringing us all back into the present. My paintings urge viewers to take more moments to pause, process, and look for connection in our communities.

Values:

✤ Community

✤ Art for the sake of art

✤ Compassion

✤ Adventure / Bravery

✤ Accountability

I believe in the power of community. I believe we all need each other to survive.

I believe in art for the sake of art. Art is a tool we use in our lives to live better and more authentically.

I believe we are all capable of and would prefer to lean towards being compassionate towards one another.

I believe in bravery and adventure. Our bravery helps us live fuller lives and adventure broadens our horizons.

I believe we live better lives when we hold ourselves accountable to ourselves and each other.