Robert M. Place

Robert M. Place is an internationally known visionary artist and illustrator, whose award winning works, in painting, sculpture, and jewelry, have been displayed in galleries and museums in America, Europe, and Japan and graced the covers and pages of numerous books and publications. He is the designer, illustrator, and co-author, with Rosemary Ellen Guiley, of: The Alchemical Tarot and The Angels Tarot, which are both published by HarperCollins and have received international acclaim particularly for their skillful and illuminating graphics. He is the designer, illustrator, and author of The Tarot of the Saints, and The Buddha Tarot, which are published by Llewellyn. The Tarot of the Saints has been favorably reviewed by Library Journal, appeared on the cover of Publisher's Weekly in the fall of 2003, and has been awarded 1st Runner Up in Sideline/Interactive (the equivalent of second place) at the 2002 International New Age Trade Show. He recently finished his fifth book, The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination, Which is published by Jeremy Tarcher, a division of Penguin Putnam. Booklist has said that The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination "may be the best book ever written on that deck of cards decorated with mysterious images called the tarot." His latest Tarot deck and book set is The Vampire Tarot, which is being published by St. Martins Press. And he has also just authored Astrology and Divination and Shamanism which are being published by Facts On File as part of their Mysteries, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena series.
Robert Place's art is not confined to one field he has continually created one of a kind paintings and sculptures while also creating art jewelry and mystical illustrations for his Tarot decks. In this work, Robert focuses on figures and portraits as a living spiritual tradition. A tradition, which was created in the Classical world and that has been passed on to us by our ancestors. He considers art a craft and craft an art. But, his main concern is the capturing of a precious vision.
Robert's paintings and sculptures have been represented by the Razor Gallery and Auction 393 both on West Broadway in New York. His work has been exhibited in the New York State Museum in Albany, in 2000, he had a one person show in the Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington, and in January 2003 he showed his work with Robert Peterson at the Jim Kempner Gallery in New York. In July 2007 he had a exhibition of his original drawings for The Alchemical Tarot in the Museo dei Tarochi in Riola, Italy and he was the guest of honor, who cut the ribbon at the opening celebration of the museum.
Robert is recognized throughout the world as an expert on and gifted teacher of the Western mystical tradition and the history and philosophy of the Tarot. He has conducted lectures and workshops in education centers throughout this country and in Italy, including the Open Center, Omega Institute, The New York Tarot Festival, and The Reader's Studio in New York, The World Tarot Congress in Chicago, The Southeastern Regional Tarot Festival in Florida, and The Museo Dei Torocchi, in Riola, Italy. He has appeared on the Discovery Channel series Strictly Supernatural and his work has appeared on The Learning Channel and A&E. And he has been invited to teach at the Tarot Association of the British Isles 2008 Tarot conference in Bath, England.
Together with his wife Rose Ann, he has been creating hand crafted jewelry for over twenty-five years. Their work has been exhibited in the White House, in the American Craft Museum, The New York State Museum, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Delaware Art Museum, The Montclair Art Museum, The Irish American Heritage Museum, the International Wilhelm Muller Competition, (which toured Museums in Germany), Birmingham Institute of Art & Design, England, and in numerous galleries in the United States, Ireland, Britain, and Japan. The Place's jewelry has appeared in international art magazines, such as American Craft, Craft Arts, and Ornament and many others and has won a New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship and the Niche Magazine Award for outstanding achievement in metal.
For more information e-mail him.