# Robert Huff (Artist)

Robert Huff (1945-2014) was a painter, printmaker, sculptor and former professor and chairman of the art department at Miami Dade College, Kendall Campus.
Huff's work in his own words from Miami Contemporary Artists
“Architectural form is often perceived as an imposition on the natural landscape. My work has concentrated on the relationship between the man-made architectural form and the natural free flowing forms found in the environment, especially in the studio environment. The integration and disintegration of these relationships becomes the starting point for many of my pieces. Through the manipulation of various materials I explore the qualities in our environment that imply human presence. A presence that is beautifying and destructive, violent and serene; yet filled with visual stimulation. The vast majority of our dwellings are fabricated from mass produced materials, which have a predictable appearance, they are in essence a product of a manufacturing society. A society based on ease of fabrication, established modular systems for construction and delivery. These concepts have always held a particular fascination for me and become a part of the force in my work.”

## Background and Education

Huff was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan and moved to Dunedin, Florida at age 11. His family worked within the construction trade and that influenced him from a young age. He attended University of South Florida (USF) initially on an engineering track but after encountering a small Monet painting he switched to art. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1968, then received his Master of Fine Arts from USF in 1968.

## Career

Huff arrived in Miami in 1968 and began teaching sculpture art at Miami Dade College, becoming the chair of the department in 1979 until his retirement in 2005. Huff taught various Miami artists who went on to national acclaim such as Robert Chambers, Luis Gispert and Karen Rifas. They were all featured together in Paul Clemence and Julie Davidow's 2007 book, Miami Contemporary Artists.
During his tenure he became a widely-exhibited artist, with over 20 solo exhibits between 1971-2012, and was commissioned for various public art installations in Miami-Dade and Broward County.

## Public Art Commissions

Untitled (HR Day Trip), 2008
East West, 2003
Lakeside Days #7, 1988
Passage Suite #7, 1987
Passage Suite #9, 1987
Argosy, 1976
After Leningrad #10, n.d.
Untitled (Transpontine Tile Maquette), n.d.
Gateways (Terminal 3-4 Connector), n.d.

## Selected Solo Exhibitions

Robert Huff: 47 Years, Miami Dade College Museum of Art + Design, Miami, FL, 2015
Robert Huff, Wall Constructions, Piedmont Virginia Community College, Charlottesville, Virginia, 2007
Robert Huff, Sculpture and Painting, Kendall Campus Art Gallery, Miami Dade Community College, Miami, FL, 1997
Robert Huff, Gloria Luria Gallery, Bay Harbor Islands, FL, 1987
Gallery at 24, Miami, FL, 1985
Miller / Pappas Gallery, Tampa, FL1982
Gallery West, West Palm Beach, FL 1972

## Personal Life

After Huff retired from teaching, he and his wife of 27 years Miami-Dade Public Librarian Barbara Young, spent their time between Miami and Virginia. Their second home in Virginia was dubbed "Camp High Rock" as it had formerly been a Boy Scout Camp.
Huff passed from cancer on August 22, 2014 at the age of 69.