Robbie Rowlands (1968) is a visual artist based in Melbourne, Australia. His work explores notions of stability and vulnerability through the manipulation of objects and environments. Rowlands' works have been described as spotlighting the history, humanity and function of his subjects. His manipulated objects and spaces blur the boundaries between our fabricated world and the natural world.
He is best known for his sculptural interventions into pre-demolition buildings through to utilitarian objects such as urban street poles. Whilst studying at Pratt Institute in 1998 under the guidance of Professor Marsha Pels he explored abandoned areas of Brooklyn creating object and site interventions. These initial explorations have grown a body of work that has explored sites such as a 1950s bus depot, a 1900s wooden Baptist church in Dandenong, Australia through to abandoned buildings in Detroit, USA.
Writer and curator Stuart Koop described the experience of Rowlands work as like removing "skin from a cadaver (or worse a living body) to show the bones – the underlying structure of nails, studs and noggins, insulation, dust, plaster…he attempts no repair, leaving a gaping incision to frame the view of the buildings prone internal structure. He exposes the integrity of tools and fixtures too by severing the key structural member in each case; one side of an A-frame ladder, the bed-frame, the leg of a chair. He cuts that very tendon which keeps a thing straight, strong, effective so that, once cut, it seems to stagger and fall".
In an interview with Beautiful/Decay magazine he states "the site interventions ....were a necessary progression from my found object-based work. The challenge I had set myself in transforming an object through a process of cutting and segmenting was an interesting challenge with a building. There was a degree to which I could manipulate an object, pushing it to an edge until something new was realized whilst still retaining a sense of its original identity. The built environments had a similar if not greater challenge in considering what action was necessary without overpowering the space and appearing like an incomplete demolition.With the first few cuts I did I really couldn't judge their success and importance to my practice. It took time to realize that revealing these sub-surfaces and the subsequent reacting gesture of the material challenged my understanding of our built environments. There seemed to be a more defined explanation to the different feelings I have within certain spaces. The exposing of underlying tensions. The consideration that a space has a kind of memory or story.© 2020. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Robbie Rowlands. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only
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| Mr. Robbie Rowlands |
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Fallen Parking sign
Melbourne, 2005 |
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Surface Pre-demolition beach house
Merricks Beach, 2007
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The upholsterer - Bedroom 1950's house - Decommissioned Upholstery workshop
Grenda's bus depot, Dandenong 2008
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The upholsterer - Lounge 1950's house - Decommissioned Upholstery workshop
Grenda's bus depot, Dandenong, 2008
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The upholsterer- Kitchen 1950's house - Decommissioned Upholstery workshop
Grenda's bus depot, Dandenong 2008
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Wanting More Reconfigured Light pole
Parramatta River, Parramatta, 2008
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Almost Resting Upturned Chair
Sorry Camp, Mimilli, Pitjantjatjara Lands, 2010
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Fell for silo, 2010
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Forgotten Cut found wood
Abandoned shed, 2011
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Night worker Reconfigured light pole
Dandenong, 2011
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Silo Retired Wheat Silo
Olive farm , Charlton, 2011
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The Offering Community Hall, Pre demolition 1900's Baptist Church
Dandenong, 2011
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The Offering, Church, pre-demolition 1900's Baptist Church
Dandenong, 2011
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Utilitarian Reconfigured decommissioned light pole
Pocket Park, Dandenong, 2011
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From the Left Corner Office desk cut, wrestling ring
Flinders Street Abandoned Gymnasium, 2012
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Won't always be there for you. Reconfigured light pole
Greville Street, Prahan, 2012
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I'm on my way down Reconfigured car park bollard
Dandenong, 2012
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The fountain be still Two pianos
Rio Vista Historic house, Mildura Art Gallery, 2013
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Fall to land, 2014
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Feeling Exposed Woodshed
Popps Packing Residency, Detroit, USA, 2014
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Industrial dispute Re-purposed Steel Pipe
Substation Gallery Newport, 2014
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Pulling Supports Abandoned house
Popps Packing Residency, Detroit ,USA, 2014
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If this light can hold Gallery floor and wall, window reveal
Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, 2015
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Cutting Corners, 2016
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From corner to corner Pre-demolition house
Shadows Fall exhibition, Belfield, 2016
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Missing Pre-demolition house
Belfield, Shadows Fall exhibition, 2016
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Shadows fall Pre-demolition house
Belfield, Victoria, Australia, 2016
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Three Ways Out Pre-demoltion House
Shadows Fall exhibition, Belfield, 2016
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Light Falls
Townsville, 2017
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I’m afraid this won’t last, 2017-19
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Middle row, 2017-19
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I’m afraid this won’t last - Room cut through to the hall
Melbourne, Australia, 2018
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Incremental Loss, 2019
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