Rob Wardell is a mixed media artist currently exploring architectural elements in his work. He alters literal forms into abstract imagery through deconstruction. The influence of a variety of architectural styles that Rob encountered during time spent in Asia, Europe and Latin America greatly affected his works' trajectory.
Rob's first visual memory occurred at the age of three when his parents took him by train to New York City to undergo an operation related to the polio he had contracted earlier. The fear and trepidation that had consumed him was quickly transformed into fascination and wonder as he entered the main concourse of Grand Central Station. Coming out the subterranean platforms into the cavernous main concourse Rob was awed by the scale and architectural beauty of the structure. He was especially captivated by the grandeur of the Gothic windows and the light slanting through them. That first memory and the emotions associated with that experience have had a profound influence on the evolution of Rob's paintings. Fast forward several decades to the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Rob's interest in architecture was dramatically affected again by the monumentality of that ancient civilization's constructs and its gradual transformation back to nature. He was intrigued by the deterioration of those structures as they fell victim to monsoon rains, earthquakes, human neglect and the relentless encroachment of the jungle. His work has been greatly influenced by the interplay of man and the natural environment. Rob grew up in Fairfield County, Connecticut and currently lives and paints in Boulder, Colorado. |
Rob Wardell © 2022