For a photo of Robert F. Irwin, click here.

Robert F. Irwin, 40 Years:
Artist Robert Irwin Shares A Lifetime's Worth of his Timeless Works
On North Carolina Bookwatch, Sunday, September 25, at 5 PM

Artist Robert F. Irwin asserts that each painting, each project in life, is a portal to the next. His collection of art, Robert F. Irwin 40 Years, successfully communicates that the most fascinating aspect of an artist's life is a state of continual transformation.

On the upcoming episode of UNC-TV's local literary series, North Carolina Bookwatch, Sunday, September 25, at 5 PM, the Beaufort resident shares with host DG Martin his full-color tome chronicling his life as an artist from childhood to today. In doing so, he shares the deep richness of his collection and how his images reflect on a life fully lived.

By sharing his journey Robert Irwin demonstrates the production of his art is anything but a solitary experience. Throughout Robert F. Irwin: 40 Years,the reader meets his family, his teachers, colleagues and even his students from the State of North Carolina Central Prison. Perhaps the most touching aspect of this book, besides the striking paintings, is the deep affection Mr. Irwin demonstrates for his teachers.

"This book originated from a lot of standpoints," says Irwin. "I first thought of the book as a payback-a recognition of my mentors and my mother, who just passed away."

While heaping praise on others throughout the book, through this artist's writing, Robert Irwin has also evolved a way of seeing that is fresh, vibrant, and in his words, "reflective."

"I think at this stage in life, being able to write my whole history and then look at it, it has been very reflective," admits Irwin. "I need to make the next 10 years different from where I've been [and] the book promoted an examination of where to go next."

Robert Irwin spent most of his childhood moving around the South until his parents settled in Atlanta in the 50s.  Throughout the 70s, Irwin worked as a museum designer, eventually getting his masters degree in Product Design from the NCSU School of Design where professors and mentors Joe Cox and George Bireline had a great influence on his life. In the 80s, Robert Irwin founded Images, Inc., a Triangle design and fabrication company, producing high-end custom furniture, but, ultimately, painting became his driving ambition. In the early 90s, he sold his company and moved to the North Carolina coastal city of Beaufort, NC, where he currently pursues his painting career and his love of sailing.

Don't miss DG Martin's all-new interview with Robert Irwin on North Carolina Bookwatch, Sunday, September 25, at 5 PM, only on UNC-TV!

During this season of North Carolina Bookwatch, guests also include: Shannon Ravenel (New Stories from the South, 2005), Emily Herring Wilson (No One Gardens Alone), Randall Kenan (Walking On Water), Ann B. Ross (Miss Julia's School Of Beauty), Lawrence Earley (Looking for Longleaf), Peter Perret (A Well-Tempered Mind), Timothy Tyson (Blood Done Sign My Name), Moreton Neal (Remembering Bill Neal), Quinn Dalton (Bulletproof Girl), Henry Petroski (Pushing the Limits), Bill Morris (Saltwater Cowboys), Amy Tiemann (Mojo Mom), Tommy Hays (The Pleasure Was Mine), Mary Kay Andrews (Hissy Fit), Jerry Shinn (Loonis! Celebrating a Lyrical Life), Michael Parker (If You Want Me to Stay), Lawrence Naumoff (A Southern Tragedy, in Crimson and Yellow), Martha Witt (Broken As Things Are) and Gerhard Weinberg (Visions of Victory: The Hopes of Eight World War II Leader).

Funding for North Carolina Bookwatch is provided by UNC-TV members and by Quail Ridge Books and Music, Raleigh's independent, full service bookstore, bringing readers and writers together since 1984.

North Carolina Bookwatch is part of UNC-TV's ongoing commitment to produce programs for and about North Carolina. UNC-TV is the statewide 11-station broadcast network of the University of North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.unctv.org/ncbookwatch.

For more information about North Carolina Bookwatch and UNC-TV's other local productions, please visit our website at www.unctv.org.

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