Donald Robertson on Staying Loose in a Corporate World

Donald Robertson doesn't do angst – he does fast, joyful strokes on cardboard and gaffer tape, a career built on the belief that art can be crazy commercial and covered in paint at the same time. In this conversation, the former Estée Lauder creative director talks about the mentor who bankrolled his double life, what David Hockney's restless reinvention means to him, and why his next big art book might be the only time capsule he needs.

Donald Robertson, My Career Is Toast. © Donald Robertson

You spent years working at the highest levels as a corporate creative director. What prompted your decision to move away from that structure toward total artistic independence, and what was the defining turning point for you?

I met my mentor Leonard Lauder in my twenties in Canada by fluke. I was working as an Art Director of a small makeup brand that used my paintings instead of photography. One of my job to-dos was: “Leonard Lauder is coming to visit the brand, art bomb the place – blow him away!” I would transform our offices (MAC Cosmetics) and Leonard and I became lifelong buddies. He bankrolled me for years and allowed me to be half corporate and half artsy. He taught me that you can be crazy commercial and be covered in paint. It was a wonderful run. I ended up actually joining the Estee Lauder companies in 2007 and left the company after 15 years the day he passed.

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Your work focuses on vibrant, immediate strokes rather than academic precision. How did you find your way to cardboard, accidental paint drips, and gaffer tape? At what point did you realize these raw materials felt more authentic to you than perfectly calculated lines?

Have you ever sat in the Bemelmans bar in the Carlyle hotel and stared at the walls? It’s my favorite NY gallery. I love how whipped off it is. It looks like he was having fun, (maybe definitely drinking) but just slapping on the paint. Bemelmans is a major influence on my work. The drips is just something that happens if you are messing with paint! Keith Haring went to Warhol at one point for advice on how to eliminate drips - Warhol famously advised him just go with it. Great advice!

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What usually sparks a new piece for you? Do you rely on specific studio rituals or habits to get the momentum going, or do you just dive straight in?

I have five kids – kids are expensive. You know what motivates me? Stuff that sells! My motto is “I want to live like a finance guy but make art for a living!” Do not come to me for angsty political statements. I’m selling light and love.

Donald Robertson, History of Accidental Fashion. © Donald Robertson

David Hockney’s work has left an undeniable mark on modern art history. In light of his recent passing, what do his experiments with color and technology mean to you personally, and how has his approach shaped your own view of painting?

Okay Hockney, how much time do we have to discuss this guy? Here is my list of stuff to Google about DH: 1. His Vogue cover collab! 2. His Polaroid collages.  3. His book on Artists using lenses to cheat hand drawing. 4. His theatre sets. The list goes on and on and on. He spent a lifetime surprising us and never doing the same thing twice. Ohhhh and 5. painted swimming pool liners!!!!!!

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Are there any emerging contemporary artists whose work you find compelling or find yourself following closely right now?

There is a very, very talented NEW painter who is dating a very, very famous gallery owner! Her work made it on to his catalogue cover! I find the 360 of this very entertaining. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. 

Pablo Picasso famously noted that it took him a lifetime to learn how to draw like a child. Given that children are a significant part of your life, what do you think an adult artist can genuinely learn from their perspective—and is there anything that is simply impossible to reclaim?

There is a giant painting hanging in my studio that my twins painted when they were three! A daily reminder to never freeze up. Let it rip and don’t overthink it.

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If you had to select just one of your works for a time capsule to be opened in 100 years, which piece or object would you choose, and what story should it tell future generations about our current era?

Because I refuse to be known for just 'one style of painting, I make big beautiful art books that serve as my time capsule! The latest one, Sofa King Great, is how I am celebrating the fact that I can sell my art for free on Instagram and Shopify around the world. Its a fantastic time to be a painter- and remember, I am from the suburbs of Canada so Im extra excited.

Donald Robertson, SOFA KING GREAT the Book. Image © Donald Robertson