Robbie Austin (b. Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA 1971) pulls curiosities through his Southern California education and plants them in a southern mystique. Trained as a sculptor, categorized as a painter, Robbie creates patterns for/of/with his devoted interest in new wave music and mystical spirituality.
Since when do you paint and what are your favorite motives?
Though trained as a sculptor, I paint. Painting is the entry point to visual art like walking is to exercise. If interested in pushing further, there are many paths to follow. My first proper two-dimensional-mark-making exploration came about in my teens. Since then, I have been interested in blurring boundaries. Though my work tends to be wall-based, maintaining the spatial objectivity of the fashioned surface is as important as color. I have been motivated to paint upon surfaces for nearly thirty five years.
When you create a new work, how do you proceed? What comes first?
I have been making marks on used maps, journals, and fabrics lately. The materials have an inherent language attached to them, both literally and symbolically. I try to listen to them and respect their visual composition. Once heard, I apply colorful patterns. Therefore, the wear and tear of fabrics, the harmony of landscapes, and the whisper of journals begin before my patterns are realized. The language comes first. 
From what do you get your motivation?
When I make something that I believe in and question and the creation gives as many answers as it asks questions…when I know a piece is finished because if I work on it more, it will be finished. That’s a magical feeling and motivation for me to make.
Your life without art would be...
predictably routine.
What is the best art place in your city at the moment?
Every elementary art classroom.
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