As a society, we like to mold, manufacture, and alter what’s around us. We create structures from the materials around us, and we structure within ourselves. I am interested in these structures we create. My photography explores the perceptions we create to understand our ideas of the self. The photos I create are both literal and fantastical productions of thought and identity, from depicting a relationship through an object to recreating my dreams. My sculptures explore the relationships between people and materials, through physical labor and societal contexts. This has taken the form of ceramic cones made from desert clay protecting desert vegetation and landmarks. Subtle ideas of labor are present in my work, through time and physically consuming processes such as welding. Labor is also placed on the viewers, as my works block, reach into, and exist in space.
Nicholas Robles - Interdisciplinary Artist
Nicholas Robles (b. Cincinnati, OH) is a Master's student completing an M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering and a B.A. with Honors in Art at Stanford University. His art practice started with metal jewelry making, and Nicholas works in the mediums of metal, ceramics, and photography. His studies combine an interdisciplinary education, through manufacturing and sculpture. He studies the process of outdoor brick manufacturing in Asia, which inspires his making and material choice for sculptures. The blend of Nicholas’ majors has come through silversmithing, laser-cut collapsible designs, and steel welding. His work has been displayed at different on-campus exhibitions from maker fairs to Earth Day at the educational farm. Currently working and teaching at the Product Realization Lab, he is looking to expand on the materials he incorporates into his practice.
Education
2016 - 2020
Stanford University, Stanford, California
B.A. Candidate in Art Practice with Honors
B.S. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering
2020 - 2022
Stanford University, Stanford, California
M.S. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering
Contact
Instagram: @roblesstudio