Robert Tidwell

Background

About Robert Tidwell

By using items that are easily accessible, I create a multimedia experience which investigates the connection between mysticism and art making. My work is both a critique and a celebration of various aspects of that which we call spiritual, in order to better understand the natural world. Spirituality is an odd area for an atheist to work but I have grappled with trying to understand my spiritual self since a young age, and no religious institution has resonated with me as deeply as art making has. My work is grounded in mysticism, social justice activism, and counter culture identities. I hope that my work resembles the work of the Insane Clown Posse in that it is the telling of stories about people on the fringe, and how we cope with, and recover from, trauma. My writing and art are also influenced by the works of Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean, Octavia E. Butler, Tananarive Due, Sam Kieth, the Sun City Girls, primitive art practices, the occult, and outsider art. Whether working in writing, or visual art, I get lost in the noise and chaos of my inner self. I try to hone in on an emotional thread that leads to the “eye of the storm” where I’m able to fixate and focus on turning the inner noise into serenity. This is where the art happens. I find the chord that strikes within me and let intuition take control. My art becomes something even I was not expecting because problem solving and improvisation are driving factors in my creative process. Although my work tends to have a quite somberness, the loud clamoring of music fuels its creation. Music is always at the center of my art even when I’m working in a medium that does not incorporate sound. The energy and rhythm of drums, the tension of a throbbing bass and the often shouted vocals of punk and hip hop groups drive my work flow by provoking emotion and encouraging me to strive towards being heard.