Meet Charley Robinson | Multidisciplinary Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Charley Robinson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charley, what’s the end goal, career-wise?
As far as goal planning for the future, that is still an ongoing process. However, the overall goal that I do strive for after receiving my MFA is that I embark in a career that allows me to indulge in my artistic passions that also challenges me to improve as an artist in general. I also want a career that’ll allow me to be financially secure so I can not only adequately provide for myself, but my family as well (and because of this I strive to have multiple outlets of income). The artistic field is pretty dynamic and multi-layered, so throughout my lifetime I hope I can have a grand scheme of experience pertaining to artistic skill. I hope to gain experience in tattoo artistry, graphic design, curation, freelance, owning my own tattoo parlor or art gallery, and lastly as a get older I am interested in becoming an art professor down the line to finally help and enrich others in their own artistic journeys. Also, I am a prospective philosophy double major, so that gives me a whole other outlet of job opportunities (such as law, business, education). Although philosophy does prominently help me develop refine my artistic concepts. I’ve grown to love philosophy and I’m excited to see how I utilize it in the future. My prospective career plans as of now are definitely not “uniform” and they may expand or condense over time, but either way I have faith that I will be successful and fulfilled, nonetheless.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art conceptually has come a very long way compared to high school, where I saw my concepts usually lacked depth and I was more focused on the formalities pertaining to skill. In the past, I often just drew because I knew that I was skilled, so I didn’t really care much about what the piece had to say but really the quality of the visual (I would say when I genuinely started to think about concept more heavily was my admissions portfolio to get into college). But when I came to college, my conceptual thought process and critical thinking skills progressed beyond the surface level that I was accustomed to. My art now mainly focuses on my experience as a Black woman in the south. Many of my pieces contain time warping and anachronisms where I blend both the old and the new, justifying a point, that the past and the present are simultaneously the same pertaining to the marginalization of the Black person in America. I also like to pay homage to the matriarchs in my family and also my ancestry, which all stand as a foundation of my identity. I would say what allows me to stand out from other artists is that my artwork by no means is conventional, and at times has a quality that rhetorically addresses the “elephant in the room” that has made viewers, and even myself at times, relatively uncomfortable. it’s blunt, raw, and unapologetic. In my work I often highlight struggles or experiences that society silences, tries to forget. But even in the aspect that it is unconventional, there are elements of familiarity in my pieces that the public can relate to. Statistically speaking, Black people in the grand scheme of the art world make a very small percentage, and even smaller in relevance to recognition. I’m immensely proud of the work I make now, and in the lense of who I was 1-2 years ago, I couldn’t have imagined I’d be making pieces as large and powerful as I am making today. My journey as an artist has really only just started, and so far, it is not easy, and honestly will only become more challenging as I progress. Discipline, consistency, and curiosity are prominent principles I need to prioritize to make sure I stay on track. There is a lot of saturation in the art field and many other talented artists, so I have to make sure to work hard and efficiently to make sure I succeed in the end, and I’m excited to see where I’ll be another 1-2 years from now.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In the instance I had to make an itinerary for my friend, as a Memphis native I feel like two prominent things that make Memphis stand out would be barbecue and live music, so Beale Street is a great place to start. If you like the night life, then I recommend places such as Silky’s and Tin Roof where there is a lot of people and you’re able to meet new people and have fun. If you enjoy nature or want to have a more family friendly setting, then I highly recommend the Botanical Gardens, which is very serene. There are also some pretty great comfort food restaurants in Memphis such as Blue’s City, Sage, Central BBQ, Huey’s, Cheddar’s, Commissary BBQ, Tacos n Ganas, Southern Hands, etc. Restaurants that are more on the fancier side that I enjoy are Coastal Fish Company, Folk’s folly, Moondance, Porch and Parlor, Flight, etc. Also, my favorite breakfast spots are Sunrise, Paulette’s, Another Broken Egg, etc. Places I recommend visiting to indulge in art, creativity, or history would be the Brooks Museum, Metal Museum, Sheetcake gallery, Belz Musuem of Asian and Judaic Art, Civil Rights Museum, The Cotton Museum, etc. Staples that are overall popular in Memphis that I haven’t mentioned previously include the Bass Pro shop pyramid, Mud Island, Graceland, Children’s Museum, The Pink Palace, and many more. Memphis does have a lot to offer if you look in the right places.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My accomplishments and successes definitely wouldn’t have come into fruition without my support system. My family and close friends prominently support me through exerting consistent reassurances of my success and my worth as an artist. They also push me to keep going and never give up. Also, my boyfriend has been a consistent supporter and inspiration in my life, who pushes me to never sell myself short and to never settle for anything less than what I deserve. His devotion and discipline with his own craft has inspired to strive to further discipline myself in my own craft and work. My educators, especially the art department at Rhodes College, deserve big kudos for their place in my growth journey as an artist and student in general. I remember coming to Rhodes as a freshman knowing little to nothing pertaining to efficient painting, especially pertaining to value and proportion. My painting professor and advisor now, Erin Harmon, has been the most supportive educator I have ever had. I’m also learning a lot about process work while also being a studio assistant for her at Rhodes. She aids me in concept building, composition, color and temperature choice, and visual content pertaining to my work. My favorite pieces that I’ve made so far in the current breadth of my work wouldn’t have existed without her evident investment to challenge me as an artist and her student.

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