We had the good fortune of connecting with Robert Sterry where we dove into the story behind his art. We’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robert, can you describe what type of art you create and why Moab is a special place for you?

I’m a photographer and multimedia artist. I mix my photography prints with gold leaf and graffiti to create my art! I’ve come to find that the desert, like art, is a place of healing and growth. Moab is no different for me, it’s a place that I've healed and grown. 

Can you share a memory from early on—one of those moments where you just knew creativity was part of who you are?

I’ve been creative ever since I was little. I received bad marks in school because I was always doodling, sculpting, or day dreaming instead of paying attention. I would just create whatever I could, and I let my expression wander through any medium I could get my hands on.

I first started making “art” in middle school. I started doing metal work the old fashioned blacksmith way, I would make roses, sculptures, conceptual pieces, and even fancy knives. I entered one of my hand forged metal roses into my middle school art show and I was disqualified because according to the judges “there is no way a kid made that”...  kind of a compliment I guess, but it discouraged me from trying again until I was an adult and I picked up painting; to my surprise people started asking to buy my paintings.

Photographer: Sam Metzner

Has the creative path been smooth for you? What challenges have you faced, and are there any lessons you'd share with other creative souls?

I think creativity is natural, but our culture puts up many barriers that make it difficult to express our creative nature. I think I ran into the same issues that many creatives face in that art isn’t valued, especially in working class homes like I grew up in. I ran into a more complex and unforeseen challenge that had to do with trauma.

For several years I experienced trauma on a daily basis due to my job, so much so that I was always in a state of fight or flight. I didn’t know it at the time but I had developed CPTSD and I lost my creative side as a result. I didn’t know what was happening until I did some research and found out that because the creative portion of your brain largely isn’t needed to survive it’s basically turned off. You can’t access it, it’s just gone. And since I was in that survival mode for years, I just forgot creativity existed and It took me a long time to heal enough to get access to that part of me again.

The biggest lessons I learned:  there are no rules, none of us are getting out of this alive, the past and the future don’t exist, and you are the only one thinking about if you look good in those jeans. So… do what makes you happy, be present, stop giving a damn about what anyone thinks, do what’s right because it’s right, and make something you think is pretty!

Would you have done anything differently to speed up your learning process?

I would have tried and failed more, and in more spectacular fashion. There is no better teacher than failure, but we’re taught from school that failure is bad and it should be avoided at all costs, but this only hinders our growth. I would have branched out more and taken risks that I knew wouldn’t work so I could find my edges and the limits of artistic ability, if there are any.

So, how does creativity fit into your day-to-day? Is it front and center, or more of a passion project you squeeze in when you can?

I’m a single dad, and I have a 40+ hour a week job, so I am very intentional with my creative time. Every Friday I just let creativity flow, I point it in a direction like photography, painting, or writing, and just let go of the reins. Kinda like going to the gym to strengthen your body. 

I think I make creativity more of a priority than a hobby. It's a uniquely human behavior, we are all capable of it, and we all need it to be healthy, like we need clean air and good food.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the balancing act of being a creative artistic maker and selling your goods. Do you feel that both creativity and the marketing/selling aspect can dwell together in balance or is that something you are still fine tuning?

I think most creatives, if they’re being honest, will tell you that they struggle with this without help. Starving artist life is real, and not because the art isn’t good or it’s not valuable, but it’s mostly because artists have a difficult time selling and marketing. That’s why places like Moab Made exist as a kind of artist collective, to work with and compliment creatives.

Have you ever seen those cube Japanese melons? They put a cube container around a baby melon and leave it there until they’re ripe, then take the box off and the melon is the shape of the cube, and sell the melon as a novelty. I think this is a perfect analogy for capitalism and art. I think that capitalism constricts art to “what sells”, and so artists rarely have the opportunity to let their art grow to its truest, most beautiful, and natural form. I’m still in my little novelty melon stage. I would love to create without considering if something will sell and I'll be able to afford to keep making art.

How do you make space for creative breaks, and do you think those slow periods actually help spark new ideas?

Everything operates in cycles and seasons, even me. I try to listen to my body, and to my soul when it comes to creativity. There will be times where I focus on rest, other times I look up from my art and it’s 3am. I do find that when I follow my natural seasons I'm a much happier, healthier, and creative person than if I try and force it. Forcing it is a great way to burn out completely.

It sounds like you draw a lot of inspiration from the world around you. How do things like travel and reading fuel your creativity?

I love travel, there is nothing like seeing, hearing, smelling, and tasting something new, to put your mind and soul in a different place. And anywhere you go there is art, art that is different and regional, and holds the spirit of the place it was made in! I'm also a constant reader, I always have 3-4 books I'm working through, each one brings in new ideas, concepts, or feelings for me to file away. When I'm reading I have to have something to take notes because ultimately there is some idea that will pop into my head!

What parts of your process or style are you most proud of—those little details that really make your work you?

I’ve never seen any other photographer combine their photography with mixed media like gold or graffiti. I like that I'm not bound to one genre or medium and that I can explore a whole range of artistic endeavors while maintaining that every part of my art was created by me.

What keeps you motivated and pressing forward in your art? 

When I hear from others about my art, or they tell me I know my art has impacted them! There is no better feeling than hearing that someone appreciates what I've taken time and care to create. Art is intensely personal for me, and it’s scary to put part of yourself out there. So when someone does resonate with my art it’s a fantastic feeling. And I love that I can create something that someone will put up in their home or gift to someone, something that they’ll value. I just hope that as I continue to grow and change as an artist it will still resonate with others.

I would love to create change with my art. A lot of my work has centered around highlighting divinity intrinsic to the natural world, the hope there is to get others to think about nature and wildlife in a different way, a way that says this is something to revere and protect.

We’d love to hear how you're handling the political climate and the threat to public lands. 

I believe by highlighting wildlife and wilderness in my art I can show that my subject matter is something to be revered and not commoditized for a temporary paycheck. Once we sell off or privatize these places, they will be gone for good, there will be no getting them back, ever. 

I want to show the beauty, feeling, and divinity of the wild and encourage others to go there and have their own personal experience in those places. I hope that by capturing these images and creating art, I can bring awareness to what’s at stake.

Is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?

“Trying to understand art with logic is like searching for darkness with a flashlight” - Robert Sterry (adapted from detective comics 787, The Mad-Hatter.)

Insta: @robertsterryphoto

Email: sterry.robert@gmail.com

Website: www.robertsterryphoto.com