Bob Potier
Bob Potier (Studio #25) – 3103 Karen Avenue
Welcome to Bob Potier’s world of the Tiki, or you might call it Retro Mid-Century Modern. These acrylic, hard-edge paintings on canvas portray a world of comic fantasy centered in the 1950’s. Some of you will remember hula hoops, small tv sets with an indoor antenna, tiki statues, tiki bars, fun hair styles, and drive-ins. The characters and themes are all here, portrayed with subtle, light-hearted humor. Tastes and styles change with increasingly greater frequency. The artist articulates his assessment of a society in a particular time and place, seen through his particular prism. The experience of art demands that we stretch and expand. Welcome to Bob Potier’s strange and wonderful world.
With a long history of painting abstract acrylics on canvas, an idea was germinating in my mind a couple of years ago that refused to let go. The result has been paintings that combine my interpretation of “tiki” art with mid-century modern design, architecture, social customs and motifs. The one thing holding it all together is the tiki, the main character in those cartoonish, humorous paintings. Picture a tiki handmaid or Mary Poppins joining a in a hot air balloon. Include hula hoops, UFOs, mid-century homes and furniture. Where the abstract paintings are a cerebral, mentally stimulating endeavor, the tiki paintings have provided me a balance. They are zany, bizarre and directly humorous.
But, the abstract paintings continue. Paint harmonizes with areas of exotic hand-dyed fabric. Bold textures are discovered with innovative use of various materials. In either endeavor, my goal is to express beauty and pleasure in a direct and truthful manner, and for me to enjoy the process.
Exhibits include:
Laguna Beach Art Museum
San Francisco Museum of Art
Crocker Art Museum (Sacramento)
Long Beach Museum of Art Art Auction
Hellada Gallery
Gallery Expo
James Gray Gallery at Bergamot Station, Santa Monica
Visit Bob’s Website
Read a Signal Tribune Article Showcasing Bob’s Work