Over the years the work of Robyn Geddes has dealt with unorthodox materials and surface texture. Influenced by Judy Pfaff’s installations of industrial plastics at Holly Solomon in the late 70’s, Geddes started working directly on plexi-glass and sand paper. In addition, Geddes was also taken by the haphazard surfaces found in demolition and construction sites. These observations on material would later lead to his works with cement.
In Santa Barbara the artist worked for an environmental building company specializing in making custom paints and wall finishes. From this experience with materials Geddes was able to formulate unique surfaces integrating such diverse materials as cements, plasters, paints and various polymers. Free of traditional presentation and imagery the new works were created to mimic accidental and uncalculated results.
From 1978-1983, Geddes was a studio assistant to Andy Warhol. From the Factory, he went on to learn lithography with Steve Andersen at Vermillion Editions in Minneapolis and serigraphy with Rupert Smith in New York. In 1989, Geddes became the Director of the Daniel Newburg Gallery in New York working with Matthew McCaslin and Rudolph Stingel among others.
Geddes has exhibited steadily since the early 1980s with solo shows in New York, Houston, Minneapolis, Santa Barbara and the U.K. His first one-person show in New York was held at the legendary Mudd Club in 1981 and his most recent solo exhibition, “Salsipuedes Street,” was at Manhattan’s Gerald Peters Gallery. Recent shows included “FLOCK: Birds on the Brink” at Lotusland in Santa Barbara.