Artist Statement: Robbi Firestone

My art rides a razor’s edge—cutting through the boundaries of subject, material, and even my own personality, as if flesh, to reveal something raw and true. This exploration pushes me to create work that is not only new but profoundly meaningful. Whether I’m constructing Joe Biden from white bread, Rudy Giuliani from Russian boot polish, or Donald Trump from Cheetos, I am constantly interrogating the relationship between material and message. These unconventional mediums are chosen to amplify the absurdity and complexity of the figures they represent, forcing us to question both our cultural icons and the materials that define our everyday lives.

The Cheetos series, starting with Crunch Trump and soon to include Snoop Dogg, is my response to the blurring lines between politics, celebrity, and consumerism. Cheetos—a beloved American snack—becomes the perfect medium for capturing the essence of figures who dominate our collective consciousness. Through these works, I’m making a statement about the state of world pop culture, how it shapes our perceptions, and how we consume both politics and entertainment with equal voracity.

But my inquiry doesn’t stop there. I’m pushing the boundaries of inquiry itself by creating live, real-time portraits of humans in virtual reality. These portraits explore the shifting lines between organic life and a virtual existence, challenging us to rethink our notions of reality, identity, and connection in a world increasingly mediated by technology.

This process—of riding the razor’s edge, cutting through the limits of personality and material—is where I find the most profound truths. Art is not just a form of expression for me; it is a relentless inquiry into life itself, forcing me and my audience to confront the uncomfortable, the absurd, and the deeply human.