Robin Brownfield, a member of MSOP, has found her niche. Mosaic art has become her vehicle to express her deep-rooted pleas for social justice to a large audience. through beauty and creativity. During our interview I learned where she began, where she is today, what drives her to do what she does, and what she does with everything she creates.
Robin grew up in a bi-racial /multi-ethnic family. They were the target of frequent bullying and harassment. She became well aware of the inequality and injustices many people face. Her activism started at age 13, when her mother encouraged her to participate in anti-war efforts and a walkathon for the people starving in Bangladesh. At age 16, with her parents’ consent, she dropped out of high school and quickly got her GED. She became part of the labor movement. She traveled around the country as an organizer for the United Farm Workers. Her political work afforded her many unforgettable experiences and introduced her to a variety of influential people that later shaped her mosaic themes. As Robin told me, “Those experiences can’t be replaced with money”. After five years she decided it was time to enroll in college. While delving deeper into her interests, she earned both a B.A. and an M.A from Rutgers College in Labor Studies. Although she completed all the coursework for a Ph.D. in Sociology at Temple University, she never finished her dissertation, as during this time she gave birth to twins while already raising three other children. She taught Urban and Women studies and Sociology at the college level for 30 years.
Robin was always artistic. Her father, a gifted illustrator, taught her to draw. She primarily did charcoal sketches and oil, watercolor, and acrylic paintings. Her teachers noticed her talent and encouraged her to join the art club and enter competitions. She began winning prizes at age 10 and by age 14 had two solo shows. She did a lot of artwork for the UFW, making posters and t-shirts which painted by hand. She was also taught how to make silkscreened picket signs and human billboards, many of which allowed her to be creative. She designed the leaflets and any announcements for events or actions being planned. While working toward her MA, she made extra money on the side doing graphic art for union groups in New York City. As much as she loved art, she always thought it was something she would do on the side while she pursued a more stable career.
Robin’s interest in mosaic started in 1985 on a trip to Moscow. She was very
impressed with the artwork she saw all over the city. There were not only elaborately painted designs everywhere, but there was mosaic artwork everywhere. She wanted to pursue mosaic art, possibly doing Russian style artwork.
Robin finally began making mosaics in 2006 and is primarily self-taught.
Her first project was a rather large undertaking. In need of a backsplash behind her kitchen sink, she decided to make it herself. There was a lot of trial and error, but it still stands today.
Robin has a signature style that is instantly recognizable. I asked why she consistently uses small square tiles, usually made of glass. She explained that she was inspired by many of the New York City mosaics she saw as a little girl. She often adds in clay pieces she has made herself, as well as recycled materials and other found objects.
There are several recurring themes in Robin’s art. She often uses her mosaics to make political statements and elicit emotional reactions. As written in one of her artist statements, “My art has changed over the years from being colorful representations of wildlife and people, to being thought-provoking representations of both reality and fantasy. Many of my pieces are about the tolls of war, racism, confinement, abuse, slavery and exploitation, yet others are about joy, sharing, omission, and being “light-hearted.”
INSIDE
AMERICA IS A GUN
Witness Remembrance
In 2020, Robin created a “Black Lives Matter” series. Included was a depiction of Breonna Taylor, whose death was instrumental in launching an international movement for justice of racial murders. A woman saw the post on Facebook and contacted Robin, asking her to mosaic a portrait she could gift to her friend, Breonna’s mother. This was Robin’s first commission and the one of which she is perhaps the proudest.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
BREONNA TAYLOR
Although many of her mosaics have a component of political and social issues with deep inner meaning, Robin does create some pieces just for fun. Animals are often her subjects as she enjoys doing them and they sell quickly.
CATS
BIRD
GUITAR
Robin is a very prolific artist. What does she do with all her creations? During our interview, she mentioned many times that she is not in it for the money; she is in it for the enjoyment. That is not to say that she doesn’t appreciate recognition and sales, as we all do.
As soon I pulled up to Robin’s Collingswood house, I knew it was hers. A mosaic garden walkway greeted me. Inside the walls were covered with many unusual items. I particularly loved the old chair she found at a yard sale that she mosaicked back and front and reupholstered.
CHAIR FRONT
CHAIR BACK
Robin’s work is on view at a variety of venues. She has exhibited in numerous juried shows, as well as group and solo shows. In 2020, when galleries were closed due to the pandemic, Robin posted her works on social media and took the opportunity to participate in on-line shows. She has been the recipient of many monetary awards for her submissions, especially her portraits. She commented that often she wins for something she does not consider her best work; judging is very subjective. Currently her works hang in many galleries, including Powell Lane Arts and Art Plus in Collingswood. Most of her sales come from galleries.
Robin is a most generous woman who is very adamant about not profiting from another’s misfortune. Profits received for works depicting social injustice are donated to organizations that support the cause. Her $400 prize won for her Black Live Matters series was donated to the Equal Justice Initiative. In lieu of a fee for her Breonna Taylor portrait, she asked the woman who commissioned her to donate whatever she would pay her to the Breonna Taylor Fund. Proceeds from pieces hanging in the Palestinian American Community Center in Clifton, NJ. depicting children suffering the ravages of war will be donated to the relief effort.
PRINCESS OF GAZA
Recently Robin was asked to supervise a community mosaic mural project at her neighborhood elementary school. She refused payment, merely asking for supplies to be provided by the district.
Thomas Sharp School Mural, Collingswood, NJ.
Robin is currently a full-time artist. She states, “My artwork, and my later life choices were very profoundly influenced by both my parents and the world events I grew up with.” She realized creating mosaics for public viewing was another way she could make a difference. She is fortunate that she is able to combine her talents, education, life experience, values, and compassion for others. When she speaks about her mosaics it is apparent that she enjoys the process and is proud of her work.
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