Aurora Robson

Born in Canada in 1972,{{Cite news|url=https://projectkaisei.org/aurora-robson/|title=Aurora Robson - Project Kaisei|work=Project Kaisei|access-date=2017-03-07|language=en-US}} Robson grew up in Hawaii and now resides in New York, Hudson Valley with her husband and two daughters.{{Cite news|url=https://news.artnet.com/market/q-amp-a-with-artist-aurora-robson-49303|title=Q & A with Artist Aurora Robson {{!}} artnet News|date=2013-08-07|work=artnet News|access-date=2017-03-07|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.upstartco-lab.org/artist/aurora-robson/|title=Upstart Co-Lab|access-date=2017-03-07|language=en-US}} Robson attended Columbia University where she graduated with a B.A. in visual arts and art history.{{Cite news|url=http://beautifulpeopleliveart.com/aurora-robson/|title=Intercepting the Waste Stream by Aurora Robson|date=2016-02-17|work=Beautiful People Live Art|access-date=2017-03-07|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308140329/http://beautifulpeopleliveart.com/aurora-robson/|archive-date=2017-03-08|url-status=dead}}{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

Robson's primary focus is creating works made with plastic collected by intercepting the waste stream,{{Cite web|url=http://www.upcycledzine.com/plastic-waste-upcycled-into-art-by-aurora-robson/|title=Plastic waste upcycled into art by Aurora Robson|website=www.upcycledzine.com|date=15 October 2015 |language=en-US|access-date=2017-03-07}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.dispatch.com/article/20120705/LIFESTYLE/307059707|title=Artist turns ubiquitous plastic water bottles into sculpture|last=Dispatch|first=Nancy Gilson, For The Columbus|work=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=2017-03-07|language=en}} repurposing plastic into art before it is sent to recycling. While her initial work was with common household plastics like water bottles and caps, she is currently focused on large scale sculptures made with industrial plastic. She also paints and creates 3-dimensional collages made with junk mail and excess packaging.{{Cite web|url=http://blog.honoluluacademy.org/aurora-robson-on-appropriating-nightmares/|title=Aurora Robson on appropriating nightmares {{!}} Honolulu Museum of Art Blog|website=blog.honoluluacademy.org|language=en-US|access-date=2017-03-07}}

In 2008, Robson founded Project Vortex, a not-for-profit organization consisting of artists, designers and architects from around the world that also work with plastic. The organization strives to bring awareness to plastic pollution and encourage cleanups of waterways.{{Cite web|url=https://publicart.rice.edu/aurora_robson.aspx|title=Aurora Robson : Rice Public Art|website=publicart.rice.edu|access-date=2017-03-07}} In 2013, she gave a Ted talk at TedxPeachtree entitled "Trash+Love" {{Citation|last=TEDx Talks|title=Trash + love: Aurora Robson at TEDxPeachtree|date=2013-11-19|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVNInv8BkEw|accessdate=2017-03-06}} introducing "Sculpture+Intercepting the Waste Stream,"{{Cite web|url=http://www.projectvortex.org/sculpture--intercepting-the-waste-stream.html|title=Sculpture + Intercepting the Waste Stream|website=Project Vortex|access-date=2017-03-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302101811/http://www.projectvortex.org/sculpture--intercepting-the-waste-stream.html|archive-date=2017-03-02|url-status=dead}} an open source course she designed to foster creative stewardship at academic institutions. The course was first taught by Robson at Mary Baldwin University in 2012.{{Cite web|url=http://www.marybaldwin.edu/news/2012/11/06/doenges-scholar-combines-art-and-advocacy/|title=Doenges Scholar Combines Art and Advocacy - News at Mary Baldwin|website=www.marybaldwin.edu|language=en-US|access-date=2017-03-06}} Her goal for the course is to inspire others to look at junk differently and rather than discard it, to create art.

Robson is the recipient of numerous grants, including the Pollock Krasner Grant{{Cite web|url=http://www.pkf-imagecollection.org/artist/Aurora_Robson/works/#!1409|title=Aurora Robson {{!}} Works {{!}} Pollock Krasner Image Collection|website=www.pkf-imagecollection.org|language=en|access-date=2017-03-06}} from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Sculpture, a TED/Lincoln Re-Imagine Prize{{Cite web|url=http://now.lincoln.com/recycling-plastic-into-art-with-aurora-robson/|title=Lincoln Now {{!}} Recycling Plastic into Art with Aurora Robson {{!}} Lincoln.com|website=now.lincoln.com|access-date=2017-03-06}} and a National Endowment for the Arts Art Work Grant.

Robson's work and philosophies have been included in WIRED UK,{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/radical-recycling|title=This artist's artworks illustrate the dark side of plastic waste|last=Allan|first=Jennifer|magazine=WIRED UK|access-date=2017-03-06|language=en-GB}} Art & Antiques,Gomez, Edward. "Drawn Together", Art & Antiques, 2010. Scholastic Issues,{{Cite web|url=http://www.aurorarobson.com/scholastic-issues-21.html|title=Scholastic Issues 21|website=Aurora Robson|access-date=2017-03-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307124429/http://www.aurorarobson.com/scholastic-issues-21.html|archive-date=2017-03-07|url-status=dead}} BBC News The Forum,BBC News. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02r3rgb "The Forum: Plasticity"], TBBC News, London, 27 May 2015. National Geographic ASPIRE Textbook, Houston Chronicle{{Cite news|url=http://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/Robson-displays-her-body-of-work-1791536.php|title=Robson displays her 'body' of work|work=Houston Chronicle|access-date=2017-03-06}} and other publications, programs and textbooks.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qwa0rQEACAAJ&q=%22Aurora+Robson%22|title=Re:Purposed|last=McLendon|first=Matthew|date=2015-01-01|publisher=Scala|isbn=9781857599374|language=en}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6fLHMQEACAAJ&q=%22Aurora+Robson%22|title=The Great Indoors|last=Robson|first=Aurora|date=2009-01-01|publisher=Rice University Art Gallery|isbn=9781932281330|language=en}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FRIeBgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Aurora+Robson%22&pg=PA13|title=How Effective Is Recycling?|last=Chambers|first=Catherine|date=2015-01-01|publisher=Capstone Classroom|isbn=9781484610015|language=en}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uS0lCgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Aurora+Robson%22&pg=PA25|title=The Impact of Technology in Art|last=Woolf|first=Alex|date=2015-08-01|publisher=Capstone Classroom|isbn=9781484626405|language=en}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vHw0AQAAIAAJ&q=%22Aurora+Robson%22|title=Art Nexus|date=2004-01-01|publisher=Arte en Colombia|language=en}}

Some of her exhibitions include: "Plastic Fantastic" at Honolulu Museum of Art in Honolulu, HI,{{Cite web|url=https://honolulumuseum.org/art/exhibitions/15453-plastic_fantastic/|title=Honolulu Museum of Art Plastic Fantastic?|last=|first=|date=|website=honolulumuseum.org|access-date=2017-03-07}} "Sacrifice + Bliss" at Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens {{Cite web|url=http://www.fpconservatory.org/About-Us/History|title=Franklin Park Conservatory - History|website=www.fpconservatory.org|language=en|access-date=2017-03-07}} in Columbus, OH; "Stayin’ Alive" at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation in Charlotte, NC;{{Cite web|url=https://mccollcenter.org/artists-in-residence/aurora-robson|title=Aurora Robson {{!}} Artists In Residence {{!}} McColl Center for Art + Innovation|website=mccollcenter.org|language=en|access-date=2017-03-07}} "Everything, All At Once, Forever" at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport IA {{Cite web|url=http://figgeartmuseum.org/Figge-Art-Museum-(1)/July-2011/Everything,-All-at-Once,-Forever.aspx|title=Environmentally Conscious Artist Creates Dynamic Sculptures from Debris|date=July 2011|website=Figge Art Museum|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121144746/http://www.figgeartmuseum.org/Figge-Art-Museum-(1)/July-2011/Everything,-All-at-Once,-Forever.aspx|archive-date=2012-01-21|url-status=dead|access-date=March 7, 2017}} and "The Great Indoors" at the Rice Gallery in Houston, TX.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ricegallery.org/aurora-robson/|title=Aurora Robson {{!}} The Great Indoors|website=Rice Gallery|language=en-US|access-date=2017-03-07}} In 2018, she opened "Gravity Schmavity" at Penn State Arboretum, PA{{Cite news|url=http://news.psu.edu/story/445816/2017/01/17/research/nea-grant-will-support-creation-sculptures-arboretum-penn-state|title=NEA grant will support creation of sculptures at The Arboretum at Penn State {{!}} Penn State University|access-date=2017-03-06}}

The sculpture "Dyno" is permanently installed at The Kingsbrae Garden in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada. It was made with broken plastic fish boxes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kingsbraegarden.com/art/|title=Art at Kingsbrae – Kingsbrae Garden|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-30}} Her sculpture "Lift" is installed permanently in the Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center at Rice University. "Lift" has solar-powered motors that help it rotate; it is made with 10,000 discarded plastic bottles and 3,000 bottle caps.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.aurorarobson.com Official website]
• [http://hpr2.org/post/plastic-fantastic-or-plastic-free-futures Hawaii Public Radio Interview]: Plastic Fantastic? Or Plastic Free Futures by Noe Tanigawa
• Alternatives Journal: [http://www.alternativesjournal.ca/community/blogs/made-canada/plastic-caught-riptide Plastic Caught in a Riptide] by Eric Nay
• [https://www.bbc.com/reel/playlist/trash-to-treasure?vpid=p06w1w5w Turning Plastic Pollution into Fantastical Dreamscapes] video by BBC Culture

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Category:1972 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century American sculptors

Category:Environmental artists

Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States

Category:21st-century American sculptors

Category:Columbia University alumni