Robert Joseph Warrens (American/Louisiana, b. 1933) , "Space Station Apartment", 1989, mixed media and acrylic on wood, initialed on underside, h. 107 in., w. 34 in., d. 43 in . Provenance: Acquired from the artist, 1989. Exh.: "Paintspitter: Paintings and Construction by Robert Warrens", New Orleans Museum of Art, 1990 and illustrated in accompanying catalogue, p. 34. Note: “Warrens is the interpreter of the ridiculous and absurd that dwell among the commonplace and superfluous. He utilizes mundane material retaining the original form but presenting it in a new situation, more objectively, creating unexpected variants... banal objects and decorative clichés become vehicles of mystery or droll comedy.” ~ Robert M. DotyRobert Joseph Warrens’ fanciful body of work effortlessly unites familiar real-life imagery with fantasy. Warrens’ creations are often a reflection of his views on societal ills, autobiographical statements on art-making or powerful visual allegories condemning environmental pollution. Warrens uses attention-grabbing colors and compositions to visually stun viewers while imparting a satirical commentary on the lunacy of current day. In the monumental and important sculpture offered here entitled “Space Station Apartments,” Warrens has concocted a whimsical montage of colors and familiar forms. Small suspended apartments, the same shape as birdhouses, punctuate the construction while curious cones, planet-like orbs and fan-like objects adorn the structure. A plume of technicolor smoke and pollutants rise from the chimney into the virgin alien atmosphere, perhaps as a wink to the viewer that while humans in this space station have escaped Earth, they continue to commit the same sins against their environment. Ref.: Doty, Robert M. Paintspitter: Paintings and Constructions by Robert Warren, New Orleans: New Orleans Museum of Art, 1990