Rob Weiss Art Featured at Maplewood Shout Outs

Maplewood's own Rob Weiss recently clinched victory at the 'Obey and Resist' live drawing competition in Charleston, South Carolina.

 

Hosted by renowned artists Beeple and Shepard Fairey, the event challenged participants to create compelling artwork under tight time constraints.

 

Weiss, known for his dynamic and thought-provoking pieces, stood out among the contestants.

 

Reflecting on the experience, he shared, "Winning the 'Obey and Resist' live drawing art battle at Beeple Studios was thrilling! And also, just fun and funny."

 

He humorously added, "I was announced the winner and was handed my first-ever giant novelty check, made out to 'COOL DRAWING PERSON.'"

 

Both of Weiss' drawings followed a 'mutant sea creature theme.' He had no idea what the other artists were drawing, which allowed him to fully lock in with the paint markers.

 

There was also added pressure for Weiss at this point, since Beeple himself was peering over him.

 

"The inspiration for the finals was simply to get through the drawing without having a heart attack," he said.

 

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"I told myself not to overthink – draw anything, just make it good!"

 

Weiss has also been a long-time fan of digital artist Beeple, who made history selling an NFT for $69 million at Christie's, and street artist Fairey, best known for his "HOPE" portrait of Barack Obama.

 

Although live drawing is not his specialty, he said he knew he had to jump at this opportunity because of the big-name hosts.

 

Some of his pieces – titled 'COMPLY', 'JOKER' and 'REDACTED' – were even displayed at the competition, which took place on March 21.

 

Aside from the competition, Weiss is deeply involved in the SOMA art scene, which he says has played a major role in shaping his artistic identity.

 

"The SOMA art community is very connected and mutually supportive, and there is so much deep talent here," he explained.

 

Weiss has installed many pieces around town, specifically in the SOMA Studio Tour and his recent show "Lost and Found (and Lost Again)."

 

When speaking about the SOMA Studio Tour, Weiss' support other artists shows: "You get to see a large amount of impressive art in a single weekend."

 

Looking ahead, Weiss already has several projects in motion.

 

He currently has 10 pieces installed at the DC-area gallery Galactic Panther through late May.

 

He has recently finished a music video for his friend's band and plans to continue working on more projects.

 

He is also looking forward to setting up a silkscreen in his studio over the summer.

 

For those eager to explore more of Weiss' work or stay updated on his upcoming projects, his art can be found on his Instagram @robweissart and his website.