Feature for my mentor, highlighting an exhibition I came across that preceded my time as his artist assistant by six months, please enjoy my findings-
Robert Ortbal Marmalade to Samaratin in the age of the pandemic – showing art amisdt uncertainty.
Robert Ortbal Artist Talk with Philip E. Linhares | “Marmalade”
In March 2020, Sanchez Art Center presented “Marmalade”, an exhibition of works by Robert Ortbal, a mid-career sculptor respected by his peers as highly innovative and imaginative in the use of common and nontraditional art materials. Organized by guest curator Philip E. Linhares, Marmalade will include a survey of Ortbal’s sculptures of various scale created from materials such as plastic plumbing pipe, paper and cardboard, wire, styrofoam and flocking, many with unconventional mounts and placements. Curator Linhares describes Ortbal’s work as “wonderful—very unpredictable, fresh, humorous in some cases and challenging in others.”
In November 2020, a short six months following this artist talk, I assisted Ortbal at a historic local gallery in Sacramento for his exhibition “Samaratin.” Upon finding this artist talk I wanted to share his work and ideas as I rediscovered them myself. I am grateful for the diverse art Ortbal exposed me to during our dialouges.