Peter Roberts celebrates 30+ Days of Savannah’s most well-known ‘Arteests’ at Green Truck

If you’ve walked by or dined at Green Truck Pub this holiday season, chances are you’ve stumbled upon the work of Hostess City art icon, Peter Roberts. In what was once a drive through menu station, currently sits a series of 36 small, colorful portrait boxes made in homage to local artists and creatives.

Roberts' installation "30+ Days of Arteests" celebrates some of Savannah's well-loved painters, photographers, fabricators and makers, and this Friday he gives an art talk about the ideation and creation of his work on display at Green Truck through March 8.

A concept Roberts calls “Headcases” had its genesis several years ago when he struggled to find a unique gift for his partner. “The idea was born from necessity, really,” revealed Roberts.

“My husband’s birthday was coming up, and he’s an architect, and I wanted to do something special for him. I made a box with a grid that featured the heads of nine famous architects with their most famous buildings on their heads.”

The gift was a hit and notably became the seed of one of Roberts’ most noted conceptual series, one he would refine and tailor in multiple ways celebrating different regions, themes and notable people.

“Headcases” works like this: Roberts selects a general topic, like pop culture, mythology or a specific place. Then, he creates digital portraits of people within that theme or location with color palettes, saturations and blends that are consistent and that yield a definitive artistic style. Roberts’ portraits typically are bright, clean-lined, almost comic book-inspired and fun.

For "30+ Days of Arteests," Roberts continued in his signature style but added a twist: atop each artists' head he placed an icon of something the creator is known or revered for. For example, local painter Heather Young, much loved for her oil washes of live oaks, has a tree atop her head. Then, each of the 5.25 by 7.5 inch portraits is framed in a wooden box with doors that open to reveal each artist one day at a time, a sort of Advent calendar of Savannah artists.

'Heather Young' Headcases by Peter Roberts

“I wanted this to be fun and also tie in somewhat with the festive season. I like that it’s part of my job to walk over every day and reveal another artist, it keeps people engage,” mused Roberts. “And for me, this is my interpretation of what these artists do. I wanted to explore what they were thinking or what was on their mind as they create. As for the selection, I kept these three criteria in mind: the artist had to be in the Savannah area. I had to know them personally. Most importantly, I selected artists with whom I’d had an exchange of learning where we both leaned something from each other.”

Since 2015, Roberts has taken his “Headcases” on the road to three major shows in the United States. His “Headcases OK!” featured prominent people of Oklahoma and was part of a culminating show at an artist residency there. “Headcases FL!” was also created as part of a residency program at Studio Sesh Arts at Islamorada in the Florida Keys. And in 2020 “Headcases NY!” debuted at Blackbird Gallery in Manhattan.

In Savannah, some of Roberts’ smaller Headcases can be purchased at the gift shop at the Jepson Center — these feature icons of pop culture, including a highly popular one in homage to Duran Duran.

For his ARTS Southeast art talk this Friday at Green Truck, Roberts plans to focus on design concepts and mindfulness of palette with a few surprises thrown in.

'James Graham' Headcases by Peter Roberts

“Creating these portraits was truly fun and sometimes funny,” mused Roberts. “Some moments with the artists and objects on their head were just hilarious to me. I have several that I really enjoyed and laughed out loud over, but to know which ones, you’ll have to be at the talk to find out.”

“30+ Days of Arteests” will be on display in the ARTS Southeast/Sulfur Studios Drive Through Art Box at Green Truck through March 8.

IF YOU GO

What: Peter Roberts, Artist Talk “30+ Days of Arteests”

Where: Green Truck Neighborhood Pub, 2430 Habersham Street, Savannah