Identification Document

Robby Barr

BFA Portfolio Identification Document

1.      Barr, “Batman Tarot Cards,” 12x20" each, AP Art, 2010

2.      Barr, “Brochure,” 11x17", Typography and Publication Design, 2012

3.      Barr, “Her and Cutter,” 11x14", self-directed, 2012

4.      Barr, “Milwaukee,” 11x17" each, Typography and Publication Design, 2012

5.      Barr, “New Year Resolutions,” 11x17" each, Typography and Publication Design, 2012

6.      Barr, “Paul Simon,” 11x17" each, Typography and Publication Design, 2012

7.      Barr, “Top Bands,” 1024x768 pixels each, InDesign class, 2012

8.      Barr, “Roots,” 17x27", self-directed, 2012

9.      Barr, “Through the Looking Glass,” 9x12", AP Art, 2009

10.  Barr, “AP Art Theme,” 9x12-14x15", AP Art, 2009-2010

10 Robby Barr BFA: AP Art Theme

These pieces were for my high school AP art class. The theme was people with animal heads and/or animals with human heads.

9 Robby Barr BFA: Through the Looking Glass

 

 

 

This was a still life for one of my highschool art classes. My personal goal with this composition was to see how abstract I could get a still life image, using reflective surfaces and a strange camera angle.

8 Robby Barr BFA: Roots

This self directed piece was inspired by my desire to do something big and silly. Voila.

7 Robby Barr BFA: Top Bands

This was an interactive presentation for my InDesign class.

6 Robby Barr BFA: Paul Simon

The top half is the front and back cover to my publication. The bottom half was an article on the interior.

5 Robby Barr BFA: New Year Resolutions

This four page article was for my Typography and Publication Design class.

4 Robby Barr BFA: Milwaukee

This six paged article was for my Typography and Publication design class. The colors may appear bright and strange but that was so that it would print out better.

3 Robby Barr BFA: Her and Cutter

This self directed piece was inspired by an old high school doodle that I wanted to explore and expand. I drew it with pencil then colored it digitally.

2 Robby Barr BFA: Brochure

This trifold brochure design for the Natural History Museum of Utah was for my Typography and Publication Design class.

1 Robby Barr BFA: Batman Tarot Cards

I'm interested in tarot cards (the imagery and symbolism rather than the mysticism) and I love Batman, so in my AP art class in highschool I decided to do a second themed set since I finished my first themed set early in the year.

BFA Application Essay

Robby Barr
Visual Communications Emphasis

BFA Application Essay

January 22, 2013

What I Do

            Currently the artwork that I have been doing is mostly the visual communication class projects. It is much more practical compared to what I have been doing before. My earlier work is more along the lines of fine arts and illustration. I have found that typography is a delight and publication design would be something that I would look into as a possible career in the future. It is kind of strange that I enjoy this kind of art because the majority of my art by contrast is all about the living figure. But even if I end up doing something more digital and clean-cut like publication design, I would still do paintings and drawings in my spare time, as well as experiment with other mediums and ideas.

            Something that I have noticed in the work I do is that I have a range of styles that I can work with, whether it is realism, surrealism, modernism, or Swiss design. I enjoy all of these styles. I take pride in this variation that I have because it opens more opportunities for me to work in, shows that I’m not afraid to experiment, and I personally get bored and disappointed when I see that all of an artist’s work looks alike.

            When it comes to inspiration, most of it comes from (as cliché and Dali as it may sound) my dreams. I enjoy the weird, creepy, and sometimes beautiful things that fall out of my head as I sleep. It’s imagination at its purest. As far as reality goes, some people who have been inspiring me lately are filmmaker Terry Gilliam and photographer Tim Walker, which is strange because I don’t make films and I’m not really into photography. I guess I really enjoy the way they can capture surrealism and fantastic things in a medium that’s not two dimensional. These two and the ever expanding list of comic book artists from the slew of comic books that I read inspire my art (not manga, by the way). I used to strongly be inspired by my fellow students but recently I’ve been able to better stand out and on my own ground, whether it is for better or worse.

            Something that might be lacking with my art is emotion, or trying to convey some statement on a sensitive issue. Maybe it’s because I’m emotionless and I don’t really care too much about any of the big issues. So many artists try to base a whole show on feminism or environmentalism or whatever, and my work never has anything to do with that stuff. If it did, it would be humorous. I would rather make my viewer crack a smile than make him or her think about how great or terrible abortion is. I just want to have fun, not preach. I do what I do because it’s silly and interesting and I want to capture it before it flies away, and to me that’s what’s important.