The Abstract Artist's Refusal to Struggle:
A Common Bond of Robert Rauschenberg and John Ross Palmer
The world lost famed American artist Robert Rauschenberg on May 12, 2008. Known perhaps most for his "Combines" of the 1950s, Rauschenberg used non-traditional materials and objects, including street garbage, to create innovative combinations. Rauschenberg was not your typical "artist" in terms of his product and he had the mindset to match the material. Rauschenberg said, "There was a whole language that I could never make function for myself in a relationship to painting and that was attitudes like tortured, sturggle, pain." Robert Rauschenberg took chances, forged ahead and did not allow the outlook of the typical stuggling artist to hamper his unique art creation.
Thirty-six year old Houston abstract artist John Ross Palmer is taking a page out of the Robert Rauschenberg playbook by adopting a similar mentality and work ethic. Through dedication, hard work and a constant willingness to change and evolve, John Palmer has enjoyed the success of any entrepreneur with a first class product and impeccable customer service attributes. John says of his art,"I put all of my soul into each piece. By releasing my inner struggles and insecurities out through my brushstrokes, I gain confidence, come to peace with myself and present a visually spectacular original work for the collector." John goes on to say, "By surrounding myself with a first class team of individuals, a group impassioned by my artwork and with a shared positive outlook, it has allowed me to surpass many career milestones for a 'young' artist."
John Palmer with Robert Rauschenberg
John Palmer met Robert Rauschenberg three years ago in Lafayette, Louisiana at the opening of a showcase of Rauschenberg works at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard Art Museum. Although he was confined to a wheelchair at the time, Rauschenberg and Palmer had a spirited discussion. During their conversation, Palmer asked Rauschenberg why artists don't make it. Rauschenberg responded that most artists aren't willing to go through the first "300 bad painings" to get to the good stuff. Palmer, an extremely prolific painter, understands. John knows that he improves his craft with every new piece of art he creates.
John Ross Palmer's Escapism Art
Palmer's art movement, known as Escapism (the title of Palmer's second of three published books), is a combination of vibrant colors, traditional elements such as acrylic and oil circles on canvas, combined with non-traditional elements like checkerboard or extended arrows. Palmer, affixed with the incredible desire to spread his passion to others, now meets regularly with other "Escapists," local artists who learn from John to hone their skills. Meeting with the Escapists weekly, John views this as an in-kind art trade he gives in return for the success of his art career. Palmer tells them of his life story, gives them suggestions on their craft and most importantly tries to instill upon them the mentality that an artist does not have to be a victim. John believes that success can be achieved through art just like any other vocation. John Palmer understands that his "refusal to struggle" is a two-way street that could only be achieved with the symbiosis of his personal drive and talent along with the loyalty of his treasured collectors. While John modestly understands the magnitude of his name being included in the same sentence as the great Rauschenberg, he accepts it as a challenge and like a dangling carrot for the many more decades ahead he has as a working artist. Palmer, like Rauschenberg before him, is ready to forge ahead, take risks and make the "artist struggle" a myth of the past.
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