Robert M. Hopkins

Robert M. Hopkins

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Biography

Temple of Heaven, 2015
Temple of Heaven, 2015




"I see my art operating 
like "feedback loops" between myself and 
life as a creative journey.”

“Portfolio”, Elan Magazine, 1990.
“Portfolio”, Elan Magazine, 1990.

Overview

Robert M. Hopkins is an American artist, currently living in Beijing, China. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Hopkins grew up in Davis, California and received his formal art training in Southern California. In graduate school, his art focused on "wall constructions" that explored the sculptural terrain between shapes and painting. His M.A. show was comprised of wall constructions and collages, entitled Shifting Fragments. His M.F.A. show presented Secular Templates, a more industrial approach to wall constructions.

After receiving his M.F.A. from Claremont Graduate University, he moved to downtown Los Angeles, where he lived and worked before moving to Beijing, China in 2004.

"‘Sparks of chaos’ for some people 
may actually be ‘sparks of creativity’ for others. 
For myself, there is no such thing as ‘chaos’
— only ‘creative chaos’."

Studio Portrait, 2004
Studio Portrait, 2004

Los Angeles

In downtown Los Angeles, Hopkins pursued a reductive approach to art making, using raw sheets of door skin for floor and wall sculptures, Door Skin Sculptures. He also experimented with various "process art" approaches, Process-Work Series, before focusing on wall sculptures that utilized rust-stained canvas stretched over wood-ribbed forms, Rust-Stained Series. Eventually, he incorporated colored fabric into his work, Heterosis Series and his wood-ribbed forms evolved into twisting loops, inspired by notions of circadian rhythms, Circadian Loops. Arranged in scattered clusters on the wall, they suggested figurative forms in gymnast-like movement.

  "The wider your orbit in life, 
the wider your understanding of life.”

Studio Portrait, 2022
Studio Portrait, 2022

Beijing

In 2004, Hopkins moved to China, inspired by finding romance in Beijing and discovering a new culture. During an initial period of assimilation, Hopkins produced a series of drawings, entitled Sketchbook Studies. Eventually, his new works on paper, Blind Insights, emerged with a collage approach that integrated his previous explorations of wall sculptures. 

Hopkins’s work continues to grow, with an evolving interest in circadian movement and contemplation. In addition to Blind Insights, his current body of work also includes: Inner Navigations (drawings), Cornucopia (watercolors), Syncopations (watercolor collages), Tea Passages (tea-pigment paintings), and more recently, the digital-photography series of MicrocosmsMacrocosms and Wallscapes.


RESUME

EDUCATION 

Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA: M.F.A. Sculpture
California State University, Fullerton, CA: B.F.A. Studio Art ; M.A. Painting
University of California, Santa Barbara, CA: B.A. in English

SELECTED ONE-PERSON EXHIBITIONS

1998   "Calibrations", Renshaw Gallery, Linfield College, McMinnville, OR (Oct. 5 – 30)

            "Hybrid Vigor", John N Joe Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (May 8 – 30)

1997    "Heterosis", Hello Artichoke Gallery, Santa Monica, CA (Dec. 3 – 31)

1996     "Osmosis", San Jose City College Gallery, CA (Oct. 15 – Nov. 13)         
1994     "Vestiges & Constructions”, Whittier College Gallery, CA (Oct. 10-28)

1990     "Secular Templates", West Gallery, Claremont Graduate School, CA

1988     "Shifting Fragments", C.S.U. Fullerton, CA (April 16-28)

1986     "Inner Stakes", Exit Gallery, C.S.U. Fullerton, CA (April 21-25) 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2004     "Art Auction", Conservatory of Visual Arts, CSULA, Los Angeles, CA (May 1st)

2003     "$200 Show", Andrew-Shire Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (Dec.3 – 6) 

2002     "The Big Wave IV", Andrew-Shire Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (Sept. 13 – Oct. 11)

2001     "lines & signs", Burning Lotus Studios, Los Angeles, CA (Oct. 27 – Nov. 17)                           Curator: Robert M. Hopkins 

              "Robert Hopkins/ Joshua Elias", ANDLAB Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
                (Sept. 29 – Oct. 20) 

2000      "sextet: in the key of space", Burning Lotus Studios, Los Angeles, CA                                      (Oct. 28 – Nov. 25) Curator: Robert M. Hopkins

1999     "5th Annual Holiday Show", Ruth Bachofner Gallery, Santa Monica, CA                                   (Dec. 4 – Jan. 4, 2000) 

              "Intimate Images", Thousand Oaks Community Gallery, Thousand Oaks, CA                           (Dec. 4 – 11)

              "Big Wave II", Andrew-Shire Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (Dec. 3 – Jan. 7, 2000)

              "Open Spectrum", APC Fine Arts and Graphics Gallery, Gardena, CA                                        (Nov. 10 – Dec.18)

              "Circular Logic", I-5 Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (Sept. 21 – Oct. 16)                                              Curator: Holly Tempo 

               "Passageways", Art Gallery, Chemeketa Community College, Salem, OR                                (Sept. 20 – Oct. 13)

               "Ninety-Nine", Miller Durazo Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (June 12 – July 3)

1998     "One Night Stand @ 207", Gallery 207, Los Angeles, CA (Oct. 9 – 10)

              "Vessels for the Journey", Angels Gate Cultural Center, San Pedro, CA                                     (Sept. 18 – Nov. 1) 

               "One Night Stand 7", Farmer’s Daughter Hotel, Los Angeles, CA                                                (June 13 - July 3)

               "100 Dollar Show & Up", Post, Los Angeles, CA (June 27 - July 25) 

               "$99.00 Dollar Store Exhibition", Miller Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA                                               (June 13 – July 3)

               "Made in California", City of Brea Gallery, Brea, CA (March 20 – May 1)                                     Juror: Scott Canty 

              "Four Dimensions", Cypress College Fine Arts Gallery, Cypress, CA                                             (Feb. 17 – March 17)

              "Robert M. Hopkins/ Deborah Zlotsky", Nightingale Gallery, Eastern Oregon                            University, La Grande, OR (Jan. 17 – Feb. 14)

1997      "2nd Annual Los Angeles National Juried Art Exhibition (Sponsored by Coagula                 Art Journal) Spanish Kitchen Gallery, Los Angeles,CA(Nov. 14 – Dec. 6) Jurors:                 Patricia Correia, Llyn Foulkes, Roland Reiss, Michael Salerno, and Mat Gleason  

              "SITE’s 2nd Annual National Competition", SITE Galley, Los Angeles, CA                                (Oct. 12 – Nov. 7) Juror: Henry T. Hopkins                 

              "Downtown Lives ‘97", DADA Exhibition Space, Los Angeles, CA (Oct. 3 – 19) 

              "The Big Wave", Andrew Shire Gallery, Los Angeles, Ca (Sept. 19 – Oct.17)

              "In The Neighborhood: Arroyo Arts Collective Juried Exhibition",  
               Harriet and Charles Luckman Gallery, California State University,  
               Los Angeles, CA (Aug. 16 – Sept. 24) Jurors: James Doolin and
               Noriko Gamblin

              "100 Dollar Show", Post, Los Angeles, CA (July 19 – Aug. 9)

              "The $99 Store", Miller Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA (June 28 – July 28)            
 
              "Unusual Perceptions", Hello Artichoke Galley, Santa Monica, CA    
               (June 20 – July 16)  Juror: Eleana Del Rio; Award: First Prize 

              "Eye SITE 1997 – Brewery Spring Artwalk", SITE Gallery,
               Los Angeles, CA (April 26 – 27)

              "Southern California Open Juried Exhibition", Laguna Art Museum,  
               Laguna Beach, CA (April 12 – June 15) Juror: Henry T. Hopkins  

              "Made in California", City of Brea Gallery, Brea, CA (March 29 –
               May 15) Juror: Noel Korten, Award: Honorable Mention 

               "The 6th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition"; A Traveling Exhibition                          Organized by The University of Hawaii, Art Gallery:
                ... University of Hawaii Art Gallery, Honolulu, Hawaii (March 16 – April 18) 
                ... Maryhill Museum of Art, Goldendale, Washington (May 11 – Aug. 24)
                ... Art Center in Hargate, St. Paul’s School, Concord, NH (Sept. 12 – Oct. 25) 
                ... Eagle Gallery, Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky (Nov. 17 – Dec. 18)
                ... City of Brea Gallery, Brea, California (Jan. 18 – March 1, 1998)
                ... Southern Ohio Museum, Portsmouth, Ohio (March 22 – May 3, 1999)
                ... The Art Complex Museum, Duxbury, Massachusetts (May 1 – July 26, 1998)
                ... Gaston County Museum, Dallas, North Carolina (Aug. 9 – Sept. 13, 1998)                         ... Alaska State Museum, Juneau, Alaska, (Oct. 1 – Nov. 8, 1998)                                            ... Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Anchorage, Alaska                                                       (Feb. 6 – March 14, 1999)                                                                                                            ... University of Alaska Museum, Fairbanks, Alaska (Feb. 6 – March 14, 1999)                    ... The Appleton Museum of Art, Ocala, Florida (April 6 – May 16, 1999)      
                 ... Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama
                     (June 5 – July 18, 1999)                
                 ... East Hawaii Cultural Center, Co-sponsored by Volcano Art Center, Hilo,                                Hawaii (July 30 – Aug. 28, 1999)  
                 ... Isla Center for the Arts, University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam, (Sept. 16 –                             Oct. 22, 1999) 
                 ... Maud Arts & Cultural Center, Kahului, HA (Nov. 13 – Dec. 18, 1999)

               "The Shooting Gallery, 1997 – Benefit for Harm Reduction Central", Los Angeles                  Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), Hollywood, CA (Feb. 8)

1996      "Fair Art ’96 Presents: Holy Sale", Spanish Kitchen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA                           (Dec. 15 – 22) 

               "Old Processes, New Armatures", Pierce College Art Gallery, Woodland Hills, CA                 (Nov. 11 – Dec. 10) Curator: Joan Kahn  

               "littlebigart", Mendenhall Art Gallery, Whittier College, Whittier, CA (Oct. 14 –                       Nov. 29) Curator: Geoffrey Allen 

               "Downtown Lives ‘96", DADA Exhibition Space, Los Angeles, CA (Oct. 4 – 20)

               "31st Annual Open Exhibition", San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands, CA                    (Sept. 18 – Oct. 26) Juror: Elizabeth Smith

               "100 Dollar Show", Post, Los Angeles, CA (Aug. 2 -31)

               "Living With Art", Andrew Shire Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (July 13 – Aug. 24)                         Curator: Young An 

               "Process and Perception", Full Moon Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
                (May 23 – June 21)

               "Material Witness – Small Mixed Media Works by California Artists", Monterey                    Peninsula College, Monterey, CA (April 17 – May 11) Curator: Judith Bell               
               "Action Required", Huntington Beach Art Center, Huntington Beach, CA                                 (April 13 – May 12) Curator: Michael Lewis Miller 

1995       "act, activate, analyze, ask…", Barnsdall Art Park, Junior Arts  
                 Center Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (Dec. 3– Jan. 28, 1996) 
                 Curator: Michael Lewis Miller                

               "Brand XXV: National Juried Competition", Brand Library Art Gallery, Glendale,                     CA (Dec. 2 – Jan. 9, 1996) Juror: Peter Alexander                  

                "Strictly Sculpture", The Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa                           Ana, CA  (Sept. 20 – Oct. 20) Juror: Betye Saar, Award: Honorable Mention                 
                 "Three Person Show: Clay Babcock, Robert M. Hopkins & Alyssee Stepanian",                     Factory Place Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (Sept. 10 – Oct. 6)    

                "1995 Los Angeles Juried Exhibition", Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los                        Angeles, CA (July 5 - 22) Jurors: Nancy Doll, Howard Fox and Leonard Simon  

                 "Sculpture: Form and Space", Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA                                  (May 12 – June) Curators: Irit Krygier and Helen Alameda Lewis 

1994        "Get Back", Kohn Turner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (Dec. 17 – Jan. 7, 1995)

                 "Downtown Lives "94", DADA Exhibition Space, Los Angeles, CA (Nov. 4 – 20) 

                "Get Back", West Gallery, Claremont Graduate University, Art Department,                              Claremont, CA (Oct. 3 – 21)

                "FAR Bazzar At The Brewery", Bingo Building, Los Angeles, CA
                  (May 5 – June 5)

1993        "Downtown Lives!", DADA Exhibition space, Los Angeles, CA 
                  (Dec. 3 – 19)                                 

                "CARECEN’s Ninth Annual Art Auction", Every Picture Tells A Story,        
                 Los Angeles, CA (Nov. 21)

                "Sculpture", Studio 5 Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (Nov. 20 – Dec. 19)

                "Urbanned Hearts", Spanish Kitchen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
                 (Feb. 5 – March 5)

1992        "F.A.R. Bazzar/L.A. Alternative Art Fair", Old Federal Reserve Building,                                   Los Angeles, CA (Dec. 3 –n 20) 

                 "CARECEN’s Eighth Annual Art Auction", Sherry Frumpkin Gallery, Santa                                 Monica, CA (Nov. 14) 

                 "SLASH-A Group Show", Empty Spaces Gallery, Los Angeles, CA            
                   (Aug. 8 – Sept. 8)

1991         "CARECEN’s Seventh Annual Art Auction", Richard Green Gallery, Santa                                  Monica, CA (Nov. 8 – 9) 

1990         "CARECEN"s Sixth Annual Art Auction", Daniel Saxon Gallery, Los                       
                  Angeles, CA (Nov. 9 – 10)

1989        "CARECEN’s Fifth Annual Art Auction", Fred Hoffman Gallery, Santa Monica,                         CA (Nov. 16 – 18) 

                 "Fourth Annual Group Show", Artist Trait Gallery, Ontario, CA (Sept. 7 – Oct. 7)

                 "Three Person Show: Robert M. Hopkins, Sandra McCarthy, Mark Sparks",                             Madrona Gallery, San Pedro, CA (May 6 – 27)    

                  "Paint", Art Gallery, Mount San Antonio College, Walnut, CA 
                   (Feb. 21 – March 9)

1988       "On The Edge: Part-Time Faculty Show", West Gallery, California State                                    University, Fullerton, CA (Oct. 3 – 13)                                   

                 "Fringe of The Fringe Show 11", DA Gallery, Pomona, CA (Sept. 29 – Oct. 8)

                 "Visual Arts '88", Ettinger Gallery, Art Institute of Southern California,                                     Laguna Beach, CA (July 18 – Aug. 6) Juror: Henry T. Hopkins 

1987          "Visual Arts '87", Ettinger Gallery, Art Institute of Southern California, Laguna                      Beach, CA (July 2 – Aug. 6) Juror:William Otton 

1986         "Fourth Annual Prize Competition", Provincetown Art Association and                                    Museum, Provincetown, MA (Aug. 22 – Sept. 28) Juror: Will Barnett

                 "Visual Arts '86" Ettinger Gallery, Art Institute of Southern California, Laguna                        Beach, CA (Aug. 11 – 30) Juror: Lynda Forsha                   

                 "Statue of Liberty Centennial Show", Orlando Gallery, Sherman Oaks, CA                               (July 11 – 31) Curator: Don Lagerberg

                 "O.C.V.A. Second Annual Juried Exhibit", Guggenheim Gallery, Chapman                                College, Orange, CA (July 11 – August 15) Juror: Mark Moore                   

                 "Expressions of the Human Figure", Muckenthaler Cultural Center,                   
                   Fullerton, CA (April 25 – June 28) Juror: Roland Reiss


SELECTED TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Conservatory of Visual Arts, [L.A. Unified School District's Gifted/Talented Program]: Saturday morning classes on the campus of C.S.U. Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA  - Instructor in Introduction to Drawing; Pen and Ink; Figure Drawing; Portraiture; Self-Portraiture; Watercolor; Sumi-e Ink Painting; Independent Projects. (Fall 2000 to Spring 2004)  

Santa Monica Community College, Dual Enrollment Program, Santa Monica, CA
- Instructor in Beginning Watercolor; Beginning Drawing; and Beginning Life Drawing at four different High Schools in Los Angeles County. (Fall 1998 to Spring 2003)

Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA          
- Teaching Assistant in Graduate Seminar to Roland Reiss (Spring 1990)  

California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, CA  
- Instructor in Life Drawing (Fall 1988 and Spring 1989)


SELECTED LECTURE EXPERIENCE

1998     Slide Lecturer on my work for advanced Painting students, California State                         University, Fullerton, CA (February)                 

              Slide Lecturer on my work in conjunction with "The 6th International
              Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition", City of Brea Gallery, Brea, CA (February)

1997     Guest Lecturer in Beginning Photography class, San Bernardino Valley College,                  San Bernardino, CA (May)

1996     Gallery Lecturer on my work in group show "Old Processes, New Armatures",                      Pierce College Art Gallery, Woodland Hills, CA (November)                 

              Slide Lecturer on my work in conjunction with solo show "Osmosis",                 
              San Jose City College, San Jose, CA (October) 

              Slide Lecturer on my work for Painting students, in conjunction with group show                "Material Witness", Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey, CA (April)

1995      Gallery Lecturer on my work in group show "act, activate, analyze, ask…",                               Barnsdall Art Park, Junior Arts Center Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (January)

1994      Gallery Lecturer on my solo show "Vestiges and Constructions", Mendenhall Art                 Gallery, Whittier College, Whittier, CA (October)

1993      Slide Lecturer on my work in Advanced Painting class, California State                                 University, Fullerton, CA (November)

1992      Visiting Artist in Architecture Critique class, Woodbury University, Burbank, CA                    (November) 

1991      Guest Lecturer in Life Drawing class, California State University, Fullerton, CA                    (February)

1990      Slide Lecturer on my work to Senior Art Students, Lakewood High School,                             Lakewood, CA (November)

1989      Slide Lecturer on my work in conjunction with group show, "Paint", Mount San                     Antonio College, Walnut, CA (February)


SELECTED PUBLICATIONS AND REVIEWS

1998   - The Korean Central Daily, Los Angeles, May 6, 1998, "Hybrid and Transplant:                        Robert M. Hopkins and Jason S. Yi at John N Joe Gallery", by Yoo Hue Ahn,                        Culture, p.1. 

            - The Event Newspaper, Cypress College, Feb. 27, 1998, "Four Dimensions:                             Now Open at Cypress College".

            - The Observer/Baker City Herald, Oregon, Jan. 30, 1998, "Art Show Has Lots to                     Offer", by Linda Elliott.

            - The Observer/Baker City Herald, Oregon, Jan. 9, 1998, "Show Time: Nationally                     Recognized Artists Coming to Nightingale", p.5.

             - Artweek, Jan. 1998, "Previews: Four Dimensions", by Steve Jenkins, p. 6.

1997    - Catalogue for "Heterosis", Hello Artichoke Gallery, Santa Monica, California,                        Dec. 3-31.Essay by M.A. Greenstein.

             - Catalogue for "The 6th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition",    
               March 16 - April 18, 1997, The University of Hawaii Art Gallery, Honolulu, HA,                      p.57.

1996     - San Jose City College Times, Nov. 7, 1996, "Osmosis: Exhibition Stretches                          Definition Of Art", by Jeff Rehrig, p. 6.                   

              - Catalogue for "Action Required", April 13 – May 12, 1996, Huntington Beach                 Art Center, Gallery 3, Huntington Beach, California, p. 10.

               - L.A. Weekly, Jan. 26 – Feb. 1, 1996, "Art Picks of the Week"
                 by Peter Frank, p.110.

1995     - Catalogue for "act, activate, analyze, ask…", Dec. 3, 1995 – Jan. 28, 1996,                        Junior Arts Center Gallery, Barnsdall Art Park, Los Angeles, California, p. 2. 

              - O.C. Weekly, Oct.  20-26, 1995, "Strictly Contemporary: Sculpture as an                                 Artistic Antidote", by Daniella B. Walsh.

1990     - Elan Magazine, Sept. 1990, "Portfolio", p. 24.


HONORS AND AWARDS

1997      -First Prize (Awarded Solo Show in December), "Unusual Perceptions",                                    Hello Artichoke Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 

                -Honorable Mention, "Made in California", City of Brea Gallery, Brea, CA

1995       -Honorable Mention, Strictly Sculpture", The Orange County Center For                                  Contemporary Art (OCCA), Santa Ana, CA

1990       -Elected to Fellowship Committee, Claremont Graduate University

1989       -Recipient of Merit Fellowship, Claremont Graduate University