Roberto Jackson Harrington

Lives and works in Austin, TX, USA

Artist statement

My mother immigrated to the United States determined to provide for herself (and her future family) opportunities and experiences not available from her small home town farm in Zacatecas, Mexico. As I reflect upon my mother’s journey now with my own child, I understand and appreciate the immeasurable sacrifices, hard work and determination my mother exerted to provide those benefits to me and my siblings. Her determination and hope have afforded me these opportunities and have grown, in one generation, from a life of manual labor to one of immense privilege as an artist. In general, I see my work as a celebration and observance of my mother’s determination to improve life for herself and her generations to come. With that understating, my work creates false narratives exploiting the idea of potential. I make arrangements using common, everyday materials such as cutting boards, lighters, silicone straws, extension cords, lamps, locks, Zip-ties, ice chests, wheels, razors, flashlights, plywood, lumber, an inexhaustible list really. I choose objects with vivid color and have some sort of utility that I render useless in my assemblages. I produce an object or image of a machine or device that functions only to be looked at. It acts as a stimulus or catalyst, a suggestion for a situation, or an action that compels the viewer to respond. My goal is to lead the viewer to believe that my art somehow performs some kinetic function or illustrates a scheme of some unknown action. I...

Artwork