Artist Robin Antar’s hyper-realistic “Realism in Stone” sculptures look to answer the question, “What is America?” Learn more about this artist and her passion for carving in stone by visiting her website.
“Heinz Ketchup” red travertine, 24” x 8” x 8”
I’ve been a sculptor for over forty years and am best known for my hyper-realistic stone sculptures of American pop culture. A hamburger and fries, Heinz ketchup and a pair of jeans are all carved in lifelike detail as lasting monuments to American life.
“My Comfort Clothes” limestone and oils, 29” x 12” x 6”
Sculpting has always been my spiritual refuge, even as a teen in high school. I would take raw stone—no model, no nothing—and just create whatever came to my mind. It wasn’t decorative, it was strictly abstract. Whatever mood I was in, I would just let it out in stone.
“Ballpark Frank” limestone, travertine, mixed media and steel, 12” x 39” x 16”
I later created a collection of functional pieces like salt cellars and bowls, carved in unusual stones, which are still very popular with clients. The stones I use come from quarries throughout the United States and around the world. Most of my work is carved in marble, travertine, onyx, calcite, limestone and alabaster.
“Summer Barbecue” limestone, marble, calcite and mixed media, hamburger: 11” x 13” x 12”
Some of the stone, such as honeycomb calcite from Utah, is used specifically for its natural color, such as the fries in my “hamburger” sculpture.
Artist Robin Antar at work in her studio
The sculpting process is very physical, with diamond blades and high-powered air hammers to cut and chisel the stone. The sanding process is very labor-intensive and done by hand.
“American Worker, American Made, with Rivets 1” limestone and custom made oil stains, 6.5” x 11.25” x 4.5”
I was still carving abstract sculptures when my son asked if I could create a giant sneaker. I decided to carve a replica of a Skecher boot, then contacted the company to see if they would purchase it as a commission. They did, which sparked a new direction for my work, “Realism in Stone.” I soon received more corporate commissions and developed a special tinting process to duplicate the color of almost any product I chose to replicate.
“North Tower 9/11” bag-marble; M&M’s-carved out of marble and cast in resin, bag: 30” x 15” x 20”; M&M’s: 3” x 3” each; base: 18”
The September 11 attack on New York’s Twin Towers pushed my realism work even further. As a New Yorker, I was profoundly impacted by the event and started asking, “What is America?” The response came in the form of American comfort food—a ballpark frank, Oreo cookies, Hellman’s Mayonnaise. I delved into memories of summer barbecues, American diners and the Jewish cafes in my neighborhood.
Powerful historic events also informed my work. I commemorated the Twin Towers from the September 11 attack by carving an 800-pound white marble sculpture of a crumpled bag with colorful M&M’s spilling out of the top.
“MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” marble, hat: 7” x 14” x 10”; granite base: 2” x 16” x 12”
The Make American Great Again sculpture was inspired by the white golf cap Donald Trump wore during his 2016 campaign, symbolizing a new era in American politics. A new work-in-progress, The U.S. Constitution in a Knot, represents all the craziness going on in our current history.
“The U.S. Constitution in a Knot” work in progress, View 1 & 2
None of these works are meant to be political statements, however. The meaning is left to the viewer. I am simply an artist-observer, recording history through my sculptures in stone.
Artist Robin Antar invites you to follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Wow, is all I can say!
Most impressive!
When you see talent like this you question your own, however, I remind myself to take a step back and realize we all have different talents. Thanks for sharing such remarkable art and talent
Thanks for reminding me of Robin’s work. Her sculpture always astounds me every time I see it. A vast majority of it, you would never guess it was carved from stone. Her kudos for her work are also amazing.
More great things to come and I can’t wait to see her latest work with monumental sized pieces, especially the potatoe chip bag.
Yes, I’d love to see a photo of that too! 😉
I am a fan of Robin’s sculpture as well. She also is easy to talk to, and readily invites collectors to visit her studio. Which I am sure is a wonderful experience. (I’ve only seen pics so far).
Best wishes to you Robin, and Carolyn!
Fabulous work – very inspiring! I love the variety and originality of the subject matter along with the expertise in producing sculpture of such exquisite quality. Masterpieces each one!