Gilt Fantails (diptych), Robert Wolfe

Robert Wolfe, an Oxford native, received his BFA in 1952 and a BS in 1955 from Miami University. After completing combat training in the U.S. Army, he served as an artist/illustrator at Fort Lee in Virginia. Following his service, Wolfe obtained his MFA in 1960 from the University of Iowa. He is the recipient of a scholarship to study at the Cincinnati Art Academy and conducted research at the Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After European travel from 1960-63, Wolfe obtained a printmaking position at Miami University and directed theses in the Department of Art. Wolfe has exhibited in over 200 competitions, 30 exhibitions by invitation and 25 one man shows. In 1972, he was honored by the Governor of Ohio and the Ohio Arts Council for his contributions to the arts. In 1992, students and the Miami administration honored him with the Miami Effective Educator award.

As time passes I find that the observation of nature has always been important to my work, whether in print, drawing or painting. However, the subjects are not used for descriptive or literary purposes. The aesthetic meanings are derived through the manipulation of the elements of art: color, form, light and shadow, and the rhythms of the subjects. Whatever the media, the meanings are developed through change and modifications, often through drawing before hand, hoping for new understandings and appreciations.