Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
American
Robert Kawika Sheer was born in Anaheim, California, and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. He fell in love with photography as a high school freshman at Oahu’s Punahou School.
In 1981, Robert attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, where he studied photography and earned a Bachelor of Communication Arts in 1985. Over the next 15 years, he developed his mastery of photography by taking various advanced photography classes at Santa Monica College. On an excursion to the Mojave Desert in 1999, Robert discovered the “Spirit Shadow” technique that soon had his fine art photographs hanging alongside the works of Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, and Rembrandt.
Robert’s pictures are all performance-art photographs; no digital manipulation or multiple exposures are used in their creation. They’re all taken at night with long single exposures lasting from 45 minutes up to six hours using a large-format 4 x 5-inch view camera. After Robert opens the shutter of his camera, he enters the frame of his picture (sometimes accompanied by his wife Ingela) and becomes a performer within the scene. Because he is using low-intensity moonlight to slowly illuminate the nighttime scene, he is able to journey in front of the camera without the negative being able to record his movement.
In order to make it possible for you to see Robert’s presence in the form of a “Spirit Shadow,” he carries a small portable lighting device hidden in his hand and stands facing a wall. He quickly creates a circle of bright light on the wall and partially blocks the bounce of this light trying to reach back to the camera with his body. The result is a black silhouette surrounded by an illuminated aura. Over the course of the lengthy exposure, the moonlight makes the black silhouette translucent while it brightens the entire scene. Since the negative can’t see him moving around, once he creates one “Spirit Shadow,” there’s nothing stopping him from creating more “Spirit Shadows” on the same negative. As far as he knows, Robert is the only photographer in the world performing this style of photography.
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Artist: Robert Kawika Sheer
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Spiritual Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Spirits Honoring the Long Cypress No. 1" is an original fine-art photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. This piece is signed in the lower right and editioned in the lower left. Edition ...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Spiritual Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"The Spirits of Stonehenge" is an original fine-art photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. The image is signed in the lower right and editioned in the lower left. Edition 51/250. The ima...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Hawaii Travel Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Pele Reigniting an Old Lava Flow" is an original fine-art performance photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. The artist signed this piece in the lower right and editioned in the lower l...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Spiritual Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Graveyard Spirits" is an original fine-art performance photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. This piece is signed in the lower right and editioned in the lower left. Edition: 64/250. T...
Category
1990s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Hawaii Travel Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Three Hawaiian Spirits in a Lava Tube" is an original fine art photography print by Robert Kawika Sheer. The artist signed the piece in the lower right and editioned it in the lower...
Category
Early 2000s Neo-Expressionist Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper, Photographic Film
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Spiritual Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Spirits Honoring the Lone Cypress No. 2" is an original fine-art photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. This piece is signed in the lower right and editioned in the lower left. Edition ...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Americana Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"The Herald Angel Prepares to Sing, Walt Disney Concert Hall - Los Angeles, CA," is an original fine-art performance photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. The artist signed this piece i...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
India Spirtual Dark Religious Supernatural Performance Photograph Outdoor Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"India Spirits, Rajasthan, India," is an original fine-art performance photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer, signed in the lower right and numbered in the lower left. The piece depicts an Indian shrine...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Hawaii Travel Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Three Hawaiian Spirits at Waikiki" is an original fine-art chromogenic photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. The image is signed in the lower right and editioned in the lower left. Edi...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Spiritual Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Spirits in Corkscrew Canyon" is an original fine-art photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. This piece is signed in the lower right and editioned in the lower left. Edition 30/150. Shee...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Americana Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"The Fairy Princess Levitating Planes Into the Night Sky at LAX" is a long-exposure photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. The artist signed this piece in the lower right and editioned i...
Category
Early 2000s Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Americana Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'Under the Manhattan Beach Pier No. 1' exemplifies the long-exposure photography of Robert Kawika Sheer. The artist signed this piece in the lower right and editioned in the lower le...
Category
1990s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Spiritual Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Angels at the Music Center Fountain" is an original fine-art photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. The artist signed this piece in the lower right and editioned it in the lower left. E...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Spiritual Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"The Ocean Spirit, Pupukea, Oahu" is a long-exposure limited edition photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. The artist signed this piece in the lower right and editioned it in the lower ...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Astrology Space Outdoors Landscape Night Stars Performance Photograph Sky Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"The Spirit of John Muir with Star Trails, Yosemite" is a performance chromogenic photograph created by Robert Kawika Sheer. The artist signed this work in the lower left and edition...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Americana Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'Under the Manhattan Beach Pier No. 2' exemplifies the long-exposure photography of Robert Kawika Sheer. The artist signed this piece in the lower right and editioned it in the lower...
Category
1990s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Galaxy Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Alien Signs at the Hollywood Sign" is an original fine-art photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. This piece is signed in the lower right and editioned in the lower left. Edition: 34/250. The artist depicts the Hollywood sign from behind, showing the steel backing that holds up the H and the O. The city stretches out below the signs. In the lower left corner of the H sign...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Spiritual Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Spirit Gondoliers, Venice, CA," is an original fine-art photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. The image is signed in the lower right and editioned in the lower left. Edition: 45/250. T...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Spiritual Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Anza Borrego Spirit Shadows & Star-Trails" is an original fine-art photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. The artist signed this piece in the lower right and editioned it in the lower l...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Spiritual Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Spirits Dodging Fireworks at Lake Powell" is an original fine-art photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. The artist signed this piece in the lower right and editioned it in the lower le...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
Landscape Photograph Contemporary Modern Performance Art Travel Spiritual Signed
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Mono Lake, Spirit Shadows No. 1," is an original fine-art performance photograph by Robert Kawika Sheer. The artist signed this piece in the lower right and editioned it in the lowe...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
'Yoga Dunes' original photograph signed by Robert Kawika Sheer
By Robert Kawika Sheer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'Yoga Dunes' exemplifies the long-exposure photography of Robert Kawika Sheer. In the image, across an arabesque sand dune, silhouettes of the artist perform yoga, each figure drawin...
Category
1990s Contemporary Robert Kawika Sheer Figurative Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
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Robert Kawika Sheer figurative photography for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Robert Kawika Sheer figurative photography available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of figurative photography to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, purple and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Robert Kawika Sheer in film, paper, photographic film and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Robert Kawika Sheer figurative photography, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Luke Smalley, Allan Tannenbaum, and Landon Nordeman. Robert Kawika Sheer figurative photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,160 and tops out at $4,400, while the average work can sell for $1,170.