Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Roger Colombik. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Roger, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
In 2013 I was invited to New Zero Art Space in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) to engage the burgeoning cultural community during a new, open period of social and political possibilities. Working with a group of young artists from New Zero and students from Stamford City Business Institute we established a forum for dialogue and oral history collection within the diverse community along 29th St. in downtown Yangon. We called ourselves the 29th St. Collective. At a time when ethnic violence was erupting against Muslim communities along the western border, this particular neighborhood represented the paradigm for a new society in Myanmar where the Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim communities lived together in peace and a genuine woven social fabric. We hit the streets with my simple instructions: engage anyone that interests you, never bring up politics or religion unless the interviewee mentions it first, and stay casual. To our good fortune, almost everyone wanted to talk about politics, religion, and the government. Street vendors, coolies, publishers, barbers, sailors, repairmen, jewelers, cooks, healers, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists filled our days with tales and imagery. We received blessings of poetry and multi-generational family sagas. Together we discovered a highly diverse group of citizens that believe in unity and are optimistic that life will change soon, for the better, for everyone. The research resulted in a large-scale public project at Texas State University; the project was featured in Public Art Review and several issues were mailed to Myanmar to be shared with the community. The military coup in 2021 has destroyed this thriving community, much as the violence and destruction are destroying the entire country and the decades-long dream of independence.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
The sculptural landscape of Chicago with its collection of monumental works formed the visual terrain of my childhood. I’m still thrilled with any afternoon spent wandering from The Chicago Picasso over to Millennium Park and walking under Cloud Gate. Trained as a sculptor, I’m deeply influenced by object makers, a love of material, building stuff, pouring molten metal, breaking open a mold, and certainly, walking into the studio and wondering what new magic may occur this day.
After nearly four decades of trying to make art, I slowly became mindful that my old definitions and interpretations of art/sculpture/culture required a new paradigm, one that encompassed the intersection between all that I cherish doing and all of the people and experiences that I’m so grateful for. Thus, when the word “Art” is bandied about, I now acknowledge “it” as any activity that engages a wild love for the world while deepening our humanity and our connection to the mystery that is within all of us. A bit wordy, I admit, but meaningful, and as I roll into my sixth decade, that which is meaningful takes precedence over all else.
And so, my studio practice navigates a diverse field of interests: sculpture, publications, documentary studies, public works, and doing my best to listen generously. A major influence upon all of this continues to be Jerolyn Bahm-Colombik, my wife and creative partner on several projects. An immersive and deeply rewarding project for us was our collaboration with the International Rescue Committee – Abilene, TX Office. The IRC provided us the opportunity to spend time with several families in the resettlement community in Abilene. To engage with this community is to enter a realm where personal histories are inextricably linked with global crises and the simple dreams that parents have for their children. The title of the exhibition, More Life in a Time Without Boundaries is drawn from Harold Bloom’s use of the Yahwistic blessing in seeking a transcendent life through learning, generosity of spirit, and freedom.
On the lighter side, our commissioned sculpture for the Miller Library in Beaumont, TX is a trippy card catalog with assorted curios on the top shelf. Jerolyn came up with the title, Vintage Search Engine, a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment that the beautiful, old card catalogs that we grew up with were our internet.
I think of my sculpture studio here in the Texas Hill Country as my palace, my playground, and my dreamscape. Much of the work is narrative; I feel that I’m a storyteller at heart, albeit, with metal, stone, wood, stuff… The history, mythology, and mysteries of ancient Egyptian sailing and funerary barques continue to hold my imagination and every few years I undertake another iteration. The most recent piece is a thirteen-foot aluminum hull filled with Tradescantia Pallida (Wandering Jew). The bronze leaves are symbolic of both my peregrinations and my perspectives on migration. The perennial nature and vibrancy of the plant are a fitting metaphor for expansion and re-establishing one’s place in the world. Migration plays right into this; some people find the plant invasive and some people think of migrants as an invasive species. And where they see division, I discover the beauty, in the plant and the people. The theme also stretches into the “Magic Carpets” series with their whimsical and lovely sense of transport to new realms.
The leaves also made their way into a series of small works composed during the heady days of the pandemic. The project was meant to express my gratitude, that I can still work, still breathe, and still share a beautiful life with Jerolyn.
Writing is an intrinsic part of my practice, oh so difficult, but one that I find so rewarding when thoughts coalesce into words, paragraphs, and narratives. This past year I was consumed with two major publications, the first: Life Is A Calendar – Dispatches From Cuenca, Spain (Enguri River Press 2021). Originally composed as a series of dispatches from Cuenca, Spain in March 2020 as the pandemic was redefining our lives, the stories and images reflect the benevolent possibilities of what we can be for one another.
A digital version is available at: The second project is Ultra Suede: A Farwell to the Man & the City (Enguri River Press 2022). A swan song of sorts to my father and his beloved hometown of Chicago. I had the good fortune to collaborate with Katie Gordon, a dynamic Austin-based designer who works magic with typography. A digital version is available at: https://issuu.com/enguririverpress/docs/_ultra_suede_01
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
While serving as a Fulbright Scholar in Republic of Georgia I was amazed at how the British Council, the Goethe Institute, and Pro Helvetica were major contributors to the cultural life of Tbilisi. There was always something going on; fabulous exhibitions, performances, and lectures, bringing the very best of British, German, and Swiss culture to this small country in the Caucasus. North American culture would never have this presence as we don’t have this level of support from the government. I concur with Rebecca Solnit’s re-interpretation of Joseph Beuys’ philosophy of everyone is an artist and everyone can contribute to culture. And to contribute, everyone should be introduced to the possibilities and the sense of personal and communal fulfillment through cultural activities. And so, let’s introduce this to them while they’re young. My personal view is that STEM without STEAM is life without the sky and the A in STEAM should be a comprehensive immersion that doesn’t have to rely on technology.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
I’m a bibliophile, the sort of person who would never dream of leaving the house without a book or a recent issue of the New Yorker, because, what if the car breaks down, what if I’m delayed… Great literature enriches my life, daily, and in so many ways. Krista Tippett’s On Being radio show has introduced me to a world of creative thinkers, from astrophysicists to poets to monks, and served as a major catalyst for examining questions on our humanity. The illuminating books and essays of Rebecca Solnit introduce the reader to a deeper sense of our history and personal responsibility for social change. Maria Popova is available to one and all, every day on the web with The Marginalian where the profound intersection of history, culture, life, philosophy, and everything, converges with intellect and enlightenment. The works of Barry Lopez bridge history, geography, climate, and responsibility in a manner that forces the reader to become more observant of the natural world at their doorstep. And Rilke and Borges are always on the table, always there with a deeper sense of the mystery.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rogercolombik.com
- Instagram: @rogercolombik
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roger.colombik
- Other: rogercolombik@gmail.com