A “Brush” Stroke Of Genius
Arthur, who began painting and sculpting at the age of two and a half, is now a renowned artist who, for the past 37 years, has shown his work on the streets of New York, in the John McEnroe Gallery in Soho, in the City of the Museum of New York, and in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Another great accomplishment came in 1993 when he was one of the founding members of A.R.T.I.S.T., a group who successfully litigated a Federal landmark case extending the First Amendment right of free speech to artists and fine art.
by Peggy Mallen
“I work from a place in the mind that i discovered where reality, memory, imagination and the dream world meet.”-A.Robins The “STROKE” – how illusive it can be when mastering the game of pool. We all know that peak performance can only be attained when the stroke is at its finest. The “BRUSH STROKE” to an artist has the same connotation – again, striving for the purest balance of relaxation, focus and strength behind every silhouette, to create the perfect scene. I believe I’ve found the perfect comparison of the stroke between billiard player and artist – capturing the essence of the sport of pool on canvas – his name is Arthur Robins. Let’s imagine a time long ago in Brooklyn, NY – it was the 1950’s – a mother is pushing a stroller down a narrow sidewalk with a small boy in tow – on their way to “Arty’s Pool Hall.” When they walk in they hear Elvis on the radio singing “Jailhouse Rock” and the crack of billiard balls with a cloud of chalk dust over the entire room giving it an intriguing and mysterious atmosphere. This was Uncle Arty’s pool hall and this was Arthur’s first introduction to the world of pool – even though he can barely remember the times spent in the pool room, it made a lasting impression that carried over to his vision for billiard art.
“SALSA POOL” Giving us insight into his love of painting pool scenes, Arthur wrote… “My first Pool painting was a tribute to my close friend Fred Schuback, an awesome artist and incredible pool player. He didn’t look like much, didn’t impress you upon meeting him, and could beat the pants off most people in pool. He died in 1991, and I painted “POOL HUSTLER” in memory of him. The experience of painting pool was so intense for me that I painted one after another. Ideas poured out of me. It wasn’t until years later that my Mother told me that before moving away from Brooklyn at age 5, she had wheeled me into my Uncle’s Pool Hall as a baby. It was called, ironically “ARTY’S POOL HALL.” I then remembered shadowy figures moving mysteriously around slabs of, well lit, green. I then understood a lot of what connected me to this pool world.”
Robins’ “pool art” has been revered and collected by top billiard players around the world and his work resides in thousands of private and public collections in over 50 countries.
Arthur admits that his paintings are collaborations between him and God. He said, “Several years ago, in search of a higher power, I demanded that God show Himself…I closed my eyes and began to paint. To my
“POOL HUSTLER” Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2014
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