Hobart Galleries - Press Releases
393 Main Street - Ferndale, CA 95536 - 707-786-9259http://hobartgalleries.com
December 4, 2007
Babies, Chickies and Street Girls:
The Fluorecent Plaid World of Robb Rierdan
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Paintings by Robb Rierdan
December 4, 2007 - Ferndale CA: The fluorescent plaid, day-glo blacklight paintings of the late Robb Rierdan, a well-known local artist and musician, will be featured at Hobart Galleries, 393 Main Street, Ferndale, California from Saturday, December 15 to January 21, 2008. A grand party and reception will be held with the artist's family and friends on December 15 at 7:30 p.m. where Robb's fluorescent paintings will be flying high across the ceiling of the historic gallery, lit by the blacklights under which they were painted.
Robb was a member of local bands Candy Muscle and Audio Wreck and contributed to the local music `zine "Panache" edited by Michelle Cable. At the time of his death, Robb was living in Eureka, commuting to Ferndale to be Hobart Brown's personal assistant. Robb was the only one Hobart let clean things in the upstairs studio and museum because Hobart felt Robb was careful not to remove the "artistic spiderwebs" in pursuit of the never-ending soot from the woodstoves.
Robb and Hobart created the "Wise, Elegant and Beautiful Fashion Show" as a fundraiser for the Kinetic Sculpture Race in 2004. Ladies over fifty were decorated and paraded local artist's work. Robb won the first one in 2004 and organized the second in 2005.
Robb Rierdan was born in Santa Monica, California August 26, 1976 and began showing interest in art and music at the early age of nine. He had his own style right from the beginning in both his art and the way he played his guitar. His mother, Nancy and Robb would spend many hours painting tiny action figures and Robb was very interested in "dark" art that he saw in monster magazines. Nancy taught him to play guitar and then he went on to McCabe's Guitar Studio in Santa Monica and learned a lot more.
In late 1989, Robb and his mother Nancy moved to Ferndale to join Nancy's future husband Steve Courtemanche. It was not an easy move for Robb. He felt like he had been taken away from the big city of L.A. While Robb was extremely bright, school was not a high priority. Eventually he made many friends in the art and music world, Hobart Brown among them. His art has also been featured at the annual Eureka Bummerfest for several years where the alternative music scene were wowed by it.
Robb was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder in his early twenties and struggled with depression for years. He was very proud of the fact that he was included in the "Rural Rock 'n' Roll" video produced by Jensen Rufe which has been seen at many film festivals.
Robb's mother, Nancy Courtemanche, recently officiated at the Memorial Service for Hobart Brown and is a volunteer chaplain at Redwood Memorial Hospital as well as officiating weddings for the past eight years.
Robb was nearly finished with another large canvas, which will be shown for the first time at Hobart Galleries. Poster reproductions, buttons and postcards will be available of pieces in the show and Robb's signature logo "Happy." Friends and collectors interested in bringing Robb's work on the night of the party, please call Nancy Courtemanche, Robb's mother, at 707-407-6968 for more information.
After three weeks of cleaning and preparation by new owners Ellin Beltz and Ken Mierzwa ably assisted by Kevin Lumbert, Hobart's studio and upstairs museum will reopen that night. Following Hobart's written instructions, visitors are to pay one dollar each to go upstairs.
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Google Map | Hobart Galleries Home Page 393 Main Street Ferndale, CA 95536 707-786-9259 Updated: January 23, 2008 |