Robb Kunz​

Containment#

Artist’s Statement#

In in Anne Carson’s Autobiography of Red, queerness feels contained inside a psyche in collapse (the character of Geryon) or a psyche of appeasement (the character of Herakles). The painting is done in watercolor, acrylic, and oil. Working with all three was a study in madness. Watercolor, although beautifully pigmented and malleable, becomes a nightmare to contain when overly saturated with water. Most oil is resistant. Acrylic is a crap shoot. That sense of barely confined control was at the heart of what I hoped to convey here. Queerness, for me, feels that way too, sometimes. As many questions as it answers about who I am, being queer also feels dangerous (especially in small town America). There is a knee-jerk reaction for it to be contained.

Also, I love watching paint choose its own adventure. Watercolor never relents.

Sunrise on My Red Planet#

Artist’s Statement#

One of my current obsessions is the character of Geryon from Greek myth, as he is written in Anne Carson’s Autobiography of Red. My intent with the painting was to put myself in Geryon’s perspective of waking up that first day without Herakles (spoiler alert). The painting is done is watercolor and acrylic, making use of the medium’s chaotic relationship with water and gravity. I wanted the painting to feel understandable (e.g., to have symbol coherence) while also feeling insubstantial.

About the Artist#

Robb Kunz hails from Teton Valley, Idaho. He received his MFA in creative writing from the University of Idaho. He currently teaches writing at Utah State University and is the Art and Design Faculty Advisor of Sink Hollow: An Undergraduate Literary Journal. His art has been published in Peatsmoke Journal, NonBinary Review, and New Delta Review. His art is upcoming in Phoebe, Reed Magazine, and Thin Air Magazine.