Greetings,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WHO:Standing Rock Cultural Arts with the cooperation of  The Robert E.Wood Legacy Committee presents

WHAT: 8^thAnnual Robert E. Wood Legacy Project Art Exhibition

-Drawings,Paintings, Prints by Robert E. Wood.  (July 20, 1943-February 4,2012)

-Work will be for sale with proceeds going into a Robert E. Wood LegacyFund.  The purpose will be to construct a cultural art center, inKent, that houses a Robert E. Wood Gallery in the future.

WHEN: Saturday, February 24, 2024.

-Open Reception, 6-9pm

-Live Music with Brooke Williams

-Screening of “Year Zero” featuring Robert E. Wood 8pm.

-Food,Beverages

-Exhibit runs through March 30, 2024

WHERE:

-North Water Street Gallery. 300 N. Water St., Suite H. Kent

CONTACT: 330-673-4970

GALLERY HOURS: Wednesday-Saturday, Noon-5pm or by appointment.

www.standingrock.net for updates

“The advantage of being a folk hero is that you get to speak from the grave” -FJ Kluth.

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THE ROBERT E. WOOD LEGACY COMMITTEE

The Robert E. Wood Legacy Committee is proud to present a wide array of artistic works by the late Robert E. (Bob) Wood. The Robert E. Wood Legacy Committee was formed to commemorate the uniqueness which was Robert E. Wood. Not only was Robert deeply entrenched in Kentculture, but his art and philosophies struck a chord with many of the city's residents. On the evening of February 11, 2022, we invite you to join us at 300 North Water Street, Kent to share in the Struggle and Risk that Robert experienced.

Come prepared to share your stories of Robert and perhaps take home apiece of his history.

ROBERT E. WOOD EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION

Excerpted from an article written by Elaine Hullihen - September 1, 2011

The show is a retrospective of works by Kent artist Robert Wood.

Wood lived in Kent since the 1960s and had been active in the art scene since he stepped foot on this black squirrel soil.

If you ever went to an art event, lecture or performance, while he was alive, it's likely saw him examining the work or asking in-depth questions of his fellow practitioners.

He could be found on most Saturdays at the Haymaker Farmers Market manning a table covered with binders upon binders of his own art for sale — at a reasonable price.

If, instead, you were a late-night bar enthusiast, perhaps you saw him working, bent over a darkened table in the corner of your favorite watering hole, glancingup periodically to memorize another part of the scene before bending down to record his findings.

What most people don't know, however, is the full breadth of his lifetime of diligent study in the theory and production of art.

Wood moved to Kent from his hometown of Struthers, OH, and earned his bachelor's degree in studio art in 1968. That was followed by a master's degree inpainting in 1973 from KSU.

Over the years, he won numerous awards in juried regional exhibitions in Akron and Youngstown. In 2003 he received an Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship Grant. He was also recognized in The 2ndAnnual May Show at Lakeland Juried Art Exhibition for a digital print.

Recognition aside, Wood was more interested in the cultural critique and philosophical ideas in his art than anything else. After a brief stint in the 1970sworking "menial" jobs, he firmly decided to be a full-time artist and dedicate his life to these endlessly interesting topics.

When asked about this decision in 2011, 6 months before his passing, he said "It's such a major concern it's hard to answer. Art is all I really wanted to do. I never wanted a real job anyway — and still don't."

The human figure has been central to Wood's artwork for many years. From paint to watercolor to marker, Wood was always interested in drawing from the model and has, it seems, thousands upon thousands of 81/2-inch-by-11-inch drawings in his collection. They are "more than just studies to me," Wood said.

In one work, done in the 1980s, Wood used markers to boldly hash out two figures that are both glaring and keen. The figure on the left peers at you over a full hand of cards while the figure on the right is cutting off his own head with a handsaw.

In the 1990s, Wood found a new art-making medium — the Xerox machine. In the old days of the 1990s, Xerox machines printed in black and one other color.That color varied depending on the machine. The Riddle, the sole piece in the show that was made using this method, was printed on up to 15 times.

With the Xerox machine Wood used the same process an artist would use to make a traditional print. "The artwork is built up one layer, one image, one color at a time," he said.

Since each machine had only one color, Wood traveled from machine to machine searching for new colors to print over his work. Oftentimes he found himself meandering back and forth between Kinko's (now FedEx ) and to slowly build these pieces.

Wood was also interested in how these machines could corrupt his images. Sometimes a machine would be "out of order" and Wood just took the sign off to see what kind of partial, striated or faint image he would get.

The prints made this way are now limited edition because that type of machine is no longer carried by either copy place.

Wood then began to use computer files to experiment with image corruption. These large computer prints are sometimes striated and look like some sort of file error. The original image is still visible, but through a type of screwed-up technological lens.

Other times the computer prints are a collage of symbols and images that are layered upon each other, transparent, fleeting and seemingly chaotic.

Not wanting to giveaway all of his secrets, Wood divulged that the way he creates these works is dependent upon the file extension. Exactly what he did or which programs he used, however, will remain a mystery.

Wood approached technology, which many see as a pinnacle of our modern life, like a child with finger paints: smearing codes, disorganizing visual order,and compressing data to discover new ways to communicate.

The exhibit will be up through March 30, 2024.

LINKS TO ARTICLES:

OBITUARY LINK: http://patch.com/ohio/kent/kent-bids-farewell-to-tragic-hero-who-overcame-labels

https://ksuasne.org/2013/07/30/soul-splitter-the-artist-robert-e-wood/

Standing Rock Cultural Arts

300 N. Water St., Suite H

Kent, OH  44240

330-673-4970

www.standingrock.net

Standing Rock Cultural Arts is a non profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization.  We inviteand welcome sponsors to help cover expenses for our art and educational activities.   Donations are tax deductible

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