 |
||||||
 |
 |
|||||
|
||||||
|
|
|||||
 (original artwork by Kate Sjursen) |
How to begin? What’s pertinent? Born in Belle Plaine, Iowa, in 1948. What a beautiful name, “beautiful plain.” And it was, but in a way too subtle for me to realize when I was young. I lived in Iowa for 53 years, spending most of my growing-up years in a great little town with a less-than-melodic name, Grundy Center. I was born Imogene Kay Robshaw, but the aptness of my first name eluded me – I just saw it as a curse from my parents. Long after I became a photographer I learned that Imogene means “image” or “likeness,” and by then I was happily nicknamed Robbie. I attended the University of Northern Iowa, the first of my family to attend college. What a gift, what a life-changing experience. Brilliant and charismatic women and men like Loree Rackstraw, George Day, and James Hearst opened a world of intellect and beauty for me. I tried to return the gift by teaching junior high and high school English for the next 7 years (I also got married to a wonderful, patient man named Jim Steinbach during that time and moved to the Quad Cities). There were moments of joy and success in my teaching - getting my indifferent student Roger to brilliantly play Romeo is one that comes to mind - but so many moments of frustration also. I quit teaching grammar and literature when our daughter Molly was born in 1978. How lovely to spend days playing “pattycake,” reading to her, and watching her take her first wobbly steps towards a wary black Persian cat….. When I found myself longing for adult conversation I took a part-time job in a camera store. My interest in photography was sparked a few years before on trips to Europe. At the camera store I furthered my technical knowledge and took an adult education class in photography at the local art museum. That was it – I was hooked! When Molly was in kindergarten, I began attending the University of Iowa, working toward a M.F.A. in photography and video. It was an exciting time. But I was also exhausting myself, trying to be mother and wife, student and artist, and once again a teacher. In 1985 I began teaching at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, where I taught for the next 14 years. I loved all my roles, but playing Superwoman was too much. I took some influential studio and art history classes in which I began reading feminist theory. I began to see my struggles in a broader context, and that helped me understand, cope, share, and make some changes. I eventually taught women’s studies courses at Augustana, in addition to art classes. In 1999, I resigned from my job at Augustana College due to air quality problems in a new art building. I continued my art, made a pilgrimage to Italy that resulted in the photos on this site, worked in a bookstore, and made plans to move to New Mexico. That longtime dream was realized in 2001. My husband and I built a home in this incredibly beautiful place, and I am teaching at The University of New Mexico - Taos. I recently had a one-woman show of prints and artist books at the Millicent Rogers Museum here. This new life is good. Thank you for visiting my website. Now go look at some more photos, and e-mail me with your thoughts! Robbie Steinbach, Taos 2008 |
|