Artist to sign book
By Winkie Lee
Published in News on November 11, 2004 1:58 PM
Artist Robert F. Irwin will be in Wayne County on Sunday to sign copies of his coffee table book, "Robert F. Irwin 40 Years."
The signing will be from 2 until 4 p.m. in the conference room gallery at the Arts Council of Wayne County. The room is on the second floor. Charles and Nancy Norwood will serve as hosts.
The 180-page hardback book has 216 of his original illustrations, 165 in full color. It tells the story of his life, painting, and the teachers and mentors who inspired him.
Books cost $85 each and can be purchased at the Arts Council.
In addition to the book signing, an exhibit of work by Irwin will be on display through Thursday, Dec. 23.
Irwin was born in 1944 and spent most of his childhood moving around the South until his parents settled in Atlanta in the 1950s.
The artist attended the University of Georgia in the 1960s and worked as a museum designer in the 1970s.
He earned a master's degree in product design from the North Carolina State University School of Design and founded Images Inc., a design and fabrication company that produced high-end custom furniture.
At Images, he was able to be creative and use his design skills, but he wanted to be a painter. In the early 1990s, Irwin sold his company and moved to the North Carolina coastal city of Beaufort.
The decision to sell his company and move to the coast was also motivated by his desire to simplify his life and live near the water. Water appears in most of his paintings, drawing a connection that is more than casual between himself and his environment.