San Diego artist Robert Michael Jones has installed three of his monumental sculptures in the midst of the NTC Arts and Culture District, the thriving creative hub of Liberty Station in Point Loma. On Friday, April 3, Jones will be on hand to talk about his work during Friday Night Liberty, a free monthly evening of art, food, and music at NTC Liberty Station. The public is invited to wander and explore over 25 galleries, art and dance studios and museums. The theme of this month’s activities is Dance Crazy. Jones loves showing work in public spaces and displaying his art in a historic Navy setting is not new to the artist. Last year, he received and completed his first large public commission and fabricated and installed a series of large stainless steel panels depicting scenes of World War II Navy yard workers. The sculptures are displayed on a historic wall at the Washington, D.C. Navy yards and serve to commemorate the workers.
At the former Naval Training Center, the three sculptures are located in the North Promenade outside of Barracks 14 next to the Stone Brewery. Jones will also have a Pop Up show in an open studios in Barracks 15.
In his work, figures emerge from a tangled mess of steel, wire, and concrete. The epic scale of the work, combined with Jones’ electric sculpting style bring these figures to life; each becoming a character in a modern mythology. The incompleteness of his forms allude to an existential struggle that the figures face with heroic power and grace. When asked about his sculpting style Robert said, “If painting is sort of like an orchestra composer; my sculpture is more like a whole body dance that I do, with power tools.”
The selection of sculptures are from Jones’ 2014 show “Momentum” at the Alexander Salazar Fine Art Gallery. The collection of seven sculptures explores the rapid journey from early civilization to modern day and into the near future.
Jones grew up making tree forts in the woods in Vermont. He earned his BFA at the University of New Hampshire in 2009. He has spent the past three years in San Diego breaking into the southern California art scene. His work is shown in Alexander Salazar Fine Art Gallery, San Diego and at Debilzan Gallery, Laguna Beach. To see more work by Robert Michael Jones go to robertmichaeljones.com.
