Robbie Simon: Spirit House
8 FEBRUARY - 14 MARCH, 2020
SPECIAL EVENT: Saturday 15 FEBRUARY, 2020
7 - 10 PM Live Music, Two DJ sets and Fresh Churros
The Lodge is pleased to present Spirit House by Robbie Simon, the artist’s second solo exhibition at The Lodge. The exhibition features selections of work revolving around abstract graphic compositions that are often grounded in bright and unique color palettes that invite the viewer into a highly considered and emotionally resonant world. Simon’s process, which pairs rigor with levity, is grounded in his rich background in graphic design.
Spirit House, which includes a constellation of large scale paintings based on computer generated 2-dimensional graphics, eschews one thematic through-line in favor of a more quixotic undefinable mood that’s designed to quietly seduce the beholder.
This evocative connective tissue, Simons explains, accounts for the show’s title which was drawn from the miniature shrines found in South East Asia. “I thought it was a really nice metaphor for the work in that the paintings, when they’re effective, hopefully function as kind of temples for someone’s story or emotions. That’s how I’m thinking about the work right now: art that functions as a conduit for someone’s experiences or feelings, just as spirit houses are vessels for spirits to live within.”
Simon’s practice continues to be inspired, first and foremost, by music, and his new work, which includes the release of a 7-color limited edition print, bears the same sense of melody and ephemerality as a brilliantly crafted composition. Layered, optimistic and eminently collectible, Simon’s work pairs timelessness with nostalgia - a combination that feels vital in the current zeitgeist. “My paintings are meant to be evocative, but I purposely avoid anything that’s obvious or pessimistic; they’re intended to be interpretive, symbolic and vague to allow people an opportunity to experience their own message and story,” says Simon.
Robbie Simon (b.1984) is an artist and designer working in Los Angeles. Simon's career has its most notable origins in the music world where he's worked with artists such as Allah Las, Kevin Morby, Wilco, Bonnie “Prince" Billy, Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear, Sharon Van Etten, Tinariwen, Max Richter, Shintaro Sakamoto, Hand Habits, Seun Kuti, Yo La Tango, among many others. His work has crossed over to a wide variety of paths and clients including Coachella, Warby Parker, Facebook, Salvatore Ferragamo, Stussy, Standard Hotel, Vans, Barbican Centre London, and Pitchfork Music to name a few.
Simon extends his creative vision as a contributor of Reverberation Radio, mixing and incorporating his own vibe into contemporary music streams. The ongoing interest surrounding the artist is contagious, as he has been interviewed in the pages of Pilgrim Japan, Monster Children, Amadeus Magazine, It’s Nice That, Stussy Japan, What Youth and D’Blanc Day Off. Whether it’s art, music, or design we just cannot get enough of the expressive genius which houses the empire of Robbie Simon.