Artist-Made Cloud Sculptures Roll Into Civic Center Art Space

SAN FRANCISCO – This fall and winter a large, lolling sculpture will take residence at the SFAC Galleries Window Installation Site at 155 Grove Street. Oakland-based artist Stephanie Robison’s Cloud Construction is a massive white textile sculpture that spans the exhibition space and mimics the fog that rolls down the hills into nearby Hayes Valley.

Robison creates sculptures that refer to everyday forms: clouds, towers, bricks, pillows, and smoke, among others. Using stone, textile, foam, or wood, she deftly manipulates the material of her sculptures to take unexpected shapes; stones look soft and fabric looks rigid. Fascinated by how a simple gesture can alter how we perceive an object, Robison’s works are often imbued with personality, charm and humor.

In her first major exhibition in San Francisco, Robison will create a playful and surprising installation, responding to the unique microclimates of the region. Cloud Construction features a white plastic fabric that takes over the gallery, crawling in and around wooden scaffold-like structures. The form suggests volume while also being porous and malleable. “Most of the work I create has a narrative, addressing aspects of my environment, myself and/or relationships with others,” Robison states. “Clouds are seemingly innocent, perhaps even magical but they can conceal, fog or obscure the world around us.”

SFAC Galleries Associate Curator Jackie Im states, “Stephanie has a real mastery of materials in a way that I think captures both their surroundings and aspects of her personality as well. This will be her first major project in San Francisco and will be a great introduction to a highly skilled artist.”

EXHIBITION INFORMATION
Dates: September 23 – December 30, 2016
Where: SFAC Galleries Window Installation Site, 155 Grove Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Viewable 24/7 from the sidewalk

ARTIST’S BIO
Stephanie Robison is an artist based in Oakland, California. She has presented her work in exhibitions and projects across the country, including the Tacoma Art Museum (Tacoma, WA), C2C Project Space (San Francisco, CA), Kala Art Institute (Berkeley, CA), Pro Arts (Oakland, CA), Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (Santa Ana, CA), and Linfield Fine Art Gallery (McMinnville, OR). Robison received her BFA from Marylhurst University in 2000 and her MFA from the University of Oregon in 2004. Robison currently serves as Professor of Sculpture at City College of San Francisco.