World Views Blog
We Are Wired to Believe in Miracles
Waiting for the Miracle Here's the routine. First, Donald Trump says something misleading, racist, or illegal. Then, when people actually call him out, he says he was only “joking” or he denies ever having said it. The latest is Trump’s dangerous urging of North...
A Dark World View
In the Introduction (below) to his tell all book about Trump, his self describe consigliere, Michael Cohen, describes Trump as someone who assumes that “everyone is as corrupt and ruthless and shameless as he is.” That is the best explanation for how on Earth there...
Learning Can Be Painful – Part One
Here is my response to a fascinating blog about my Alma Matter/professional acting school, Circle in the Square. Much of what we learned at Circle was about neutralization, where the goal is to find our neutral, so we might then add or take away any color, behavior,...
Learning Can Be Painful – Part Two
Is the Old School Effective? In Learning Can Be Painful - Part One, I didn’t get into my experiences in music school with my clarinet teacher. Nor did I delve into my experiences learning the craft of painting from my father. These, and many of the examples I describe...
A Virtual Art Opening
In these tricky times, it is often difficult to get out and enrich the soul. As so many creatives are doing now, Robert leads you on a virtual tour of his work, now on exhibition at Uncork Charleston. Rob's artist talks are always fascinating and filled with...
NETI Statement of (His Lack of) Purpose
I am that I am not. I am Neti. See NETI RUN (Remove Unnecessary Nonsense) "There is a war on beauty in the world. There is a war on intellectualism. There is a war on history where only the new is cool. But the only new thing is that which has not yet been experienced...
The Quench Project – Overview
MEDIA RELEASE 2-25-25 For more information please email Robert or contact him by phone at 843-486-3161. Here's the latest on The Quench Project I am now sponsoring two extraordinary individuals whom I met in Haiti, back in 2015 at the Bread Of life Orphanage in...
Heritage Lost and Found
Our Public and Private Dramas, Played Out Through Art Last week the White House moved the portraits of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush from a place of prominence. Taken alongside Mr. Trump's unwillingness to dedicate the official portraits of the Obamas, it seems...
The Artist’s Soul
The Battle for the Artist's Soul This Fran Lebowitz quote seems quite offensive today, where art has been so thoroughly democratized. I don’t subscribe to this perspective, of course. But there is a grain of truth in it. I would only add, for those interested in the...
The Angel Oak
The Process of Painting the Angel Oak This is my largest work on stretched linen canvas. The painting is 5' x 7.' Yes, that's right, I said FIVE feet! It was commissioned by our neighbor/friends Amy and Justin Couch, who needed a large piece as a focal point with...
Maniscalco Gallery on Facebook
"Tempus Fugit" captures the instant fire and ice meet, when strange entities are released into the human psyche. Another collaboration between myself and artist Nick C. Cerrato. ...
"Light" captures the moment of decision. To enlighten or to inflame? ...
"Darkness and Light" is my latest collaboration with Nick C. Cerrato. It can be appreciated simply as an #abstract expressionist #painting and closer up as a deep narrative meditation on darkness and #light. ...
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The grand arbiter of taste, who definitely would not recognize a Van Gogh if it hit them in the face. With apologies, of course, to all those who've awarded me over the years, and to those who haven't. This is one more reason I detest authority. When I've played the role of juror, I always feel it necessary to write about each of the works, something kind and something to work on. I see the role of juror is not to judge, but uplift and encourage people who've put their heart and soul on the line. I usually pick the piece most reasonable people would agree was award worthy. And I can tell you why. I think contests should exist to support deep study and commitment to the purpose of art, which is to open our eyes to something heretofore unseen. It is the juror's job to really see the artists' work, in such a way that each artist will know they have been seen. ...
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.Evil's Place, another collaboration with Nick Cerrato. I know you can't zoom in on insta so I will tell you God is pressing the devil into his place, while multiple figures reacts to the battle of good vs evil. NFS ...