Robert Booth, "Presence"
Buffalo Arts Studio is excited to present "Presence," an exhibition of sculptural and two-dimensional work by artist Robert Booth, on view from August 28 through October 31, 2026. "Presence" highlights the relationship between allegory and human existence, encouraging reflection on how we make and mark meaning. An opening reception will be held on Friday, August 28, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm as part of M&T Fourth Friday at Tri-Main.
Whether intentional or by chance, symbols surround us in our daily life, as every person, place, or thing has the potential to hold some hidden meaning for us. Seeing them may stir a memory, spark an emotion, or call us to act. Every day, we feel called to that allegorical impulse: to make sense of our world by piecing together fragmented signs into one cohesive narrative.
Each varied sculptural form and two-dimensional work is packed full of recurring motifs, common symbols that stretch across the entire series in different pairings and configurations. Booth presents scenes that suggest the passage of time, consequences, and memory of something that has or will happen. Everyday imagery, such as houses, pencils, and chairs, points to and suggests something deeper—a meaning that is in flux depending on the symbols surrounding it.
Pulling from a series of artworks entitled "Prompts," the work in "Presence" reveals how Booth flips that core question we might ask when engaging with a work of art—“What does this mean?”—onto the viewer. The symbols and contexts he creates are not intended to hold supreme intrinsic meaning, but instead function as a sort of vocabulary. As a prompt for something more. As a set of ideas inviting the viewer to piece them together from personal memory and experience to articulate meaning. To tell him what it means.
For more information about Buffalo Arts Studio, please visit www.buffaloartsstudio.org
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