Painter · Observer · Storyteller
Robert G. FishmanThe Art of Seeing
Robert Fishman is a painter of observation, memory, and human connection.
An oil painter and cultural anthropologist, Fishman brings a lifetime of close looking to the canvas.
Explore the work
The Work
People, places, and everyday life.
Explore figurative scenes, restaurant interiors, portraits, African subjects, and landscapes—from recognizable settings to the abstractions of Deconstructed Landscapes.
Selected Work
Paintings by series
Choose a series to view its paintings.
For availability, pricing, or purchasing a painting, contact Robert directly. Portrait commissions are welcome.
Images of Everyday Life14 paintings
Restaurant Series5 paintings
Portraits19 paintings
Miniature Portraits
Each painting measures 5 × 7 inches.
Elongated Figures8 paintings
Landscape Series10 paintings
Deconstructed Landscapes2 related works
African Series5 paintings
1776 Reimagined3 paintings
The Art of Forgetting
Painting memory as it changes.
As his mother’s dementia progressed, Fishman began painting a landscape and then progressively removing detail, changing color, and simplifying form. The process became a visual language for memory loss.
“I realized I wasn’t simply deconstructing a landscape. I was painting what it felt like to watch memory disappear.”
Book
A story for children facing dementia in someone they love.
Told through the eyes of an eleven-year-old great-granddaughter, Bubby’s Still Here helps young readers understand that when memory changes, love and connection can remain.
Buy on AmazonTalks & Gallery Programs
The Art of Forgetting: A Gallery Conversation
With Robert G. Fishman, Ph.D.
What happens when a familiar landscape begins to slip from view?
In this conversational, 45-minute gallery talk, Robert G. Fishman invites visitors to explore his Deconstructed Landscapes and the personal story behind The Art of Forgetting. Inspired by his mother’s experience with dementia, the paintings open a conversation about memory, change, and human connection.
Time for looking, discussion, and questions is woven throughout. No art background is needed.
Available for galleries, museums, community groups, and organizations supporting caregivers and families.
Request a gallery talkAbout
Artist Statement
Robert G. Fishman, Ph.D., approaches painting with the curiosity of a cultural anthropologist. He is drawn to how people inhabit their worlds: a gesture across a restaurant table, a familiar routine, or a quiet moment between companions.
His expressive, impressionistic paintings seek more than a likeness. Figurative scenes carry the atmosphere of an encounter; landscapes evoke the experience of being in a place. Working between representation and abstraction, he leaves room for viewers to bring their own associations to what they see.
In Deconstructed Landscapes, this approach turns toward the fragility of memory. Across his work, close attention to ordinary life becomes a way of recognizing its emotional depth.
Exhibition History
Selected Exhibitions2018–2026
- 2026Glen Echo Labor Day Art Show — Juried Exhibition
- 2026different Takes: Five Artists–Five Visions — Ashawagh Hall, East Hampton, NY
- 2026Art at the Mill Spring Show — May
- 2026Witness to the Everyday — Solo Exhibition, ArtSeen Gallery, January 15–February 28
- 2025Variations in Landscapes — ArtSeen Gallery, Rockville, MD
- 2025WSS Member Exhibit — Juried Exhibition, Washington, DC
- 2024Glen Echo Labor Day Art Show — Juried Exhibition, Glen Echo, MD
- 2023Art at the Mill — Juried Exhibition, Millwood, VA
- 2022Art at the Mill — Juried Exhibition, Millwood, VA
- 2020Goldman Art Gallery Exhibition — Rockville, MD
- 2019Gallery Clarendon Exhibit — Arlington, VA
- 2019Art and Culture: Images of Everyday Life — Solo Exhibition, Art in the Valley Gallery, Front Royal, VA
- 2018Art at the Mill — Juried Exhibition, Millwood, VA
Film and Media
Candler Park: A Neighborhood in Transition
1980 · Documentary Producer · Georgia State University
Watch on YouTubeContact
Purchases & Commissions
Buying a painting
To inquire about availability, pricing, or purchasing a painting, please contact Robert directly. Include the painting’s title in your message. Sold works remain in the gallery as part of the collection.
Inquire about a paintingPortrait commissions
Portrait commissions are welcome. Please contact Robert to discuss your idea, size, timing, and pricing.
Request a commissionFor exhibitions, book programs, speaking, or other inquiries, please use the same email.