Robert Hargrave

For me, sculpture represents possibility in life.  I am intrigued by the life of an idea as it travels from mind, to paper, and then transforms, given sensuality through the wood to exist fully shaped in a space of its own. The idea, given form, now seemingly moves, interacting fully with the viewer in a shared dimension.  Life is movement, I want my sculptures to have a sense of movement even if they are stationary.

I was a child of the sixties, thus I chose the road less traveled. While an art student at the University of Florida, I began laminating and carving plywood. After all, plywood was readily available and my professor realizing I was on to something gave me encouragement. Upon graduation in 1973, I made my way to Boston to live the life of an artist. My first experience of selling what I made was in the Christmas Store in Cambridge, then my big break was Rhinebeck in 1977. As my business continued to grow, I moved to the country in upstate New York, exhibiting in craft fairs all over the northeast. In 1995, I found my way back to Florida and settled into an artistic community in Railroad Square Art Park.   After four decades of working with my hands, I still find it challenging to create a well-crafted piece that will be treasured by someone. I have remained true to my desire to follow the path of creativity and found support in the community of crafts. In a homogenous world of sameness, diversity is something to strive for and work toward. My goal is to make products that are a joy to look at, a pleasure to touch and an honor to own.