A young man is standing on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, California accompanied by a box filled to the brim with ladybugs. Passersby who stop to peer inside the box are at first startled by the critters, but are then relieved and delighted to see the sweet ladybugs.
Terror and sweetness are the exact reactions sculptor Robert Ortbal had hoped to evoke, and in between the two is one of the places in which he would continuously desire his works of art to reside.
On Thursday, Feb. 9, California State University, Stanislaus hosted an Artist Talk featuring Ortbal’s art exhibition entitled, “Lattice.” The event was held in the University Art Gallery, where both students and the public were treated to a collection of installation pieces Ortbal created specifically for the space in the Gallery. Ortbal also gave lectures on the meanings and ideas behind his sculptures.
“My evolution is less like a clear defined line and more like an eclipse. I circle around ideas, and other times I pass by them at a much further distance,” Ortbal said.
Ortbal is a well established sculptor in California. He has taken part in a handful of exhibitions across California and the United States. He also has received awards such as the Eureka Fellowship from the Fleishhacker Foundation in San Francisco. Ortbal currently teaches sculpting courses at California State University, Sacramento.
His first lecture was held at 3 p.m. and included a slide show of sculptures from past exhibitions. The lecture was geared for art students to receive an in-depth look at what breathes life into Ortbal’s sculptures.
“I would like students to more or less see and really understand Ortbal’s approach to art and for them to try applying it to their own artwork,” said Nic Webber (Senior, Art), a Gallery 909 intern.  
Ortba’s sculptures are amalgams of Dollar Store items concocted to probe the facets of human nature and natural phenomena. A chief theme behind his sculptures is the process of regeneration: the idea of rebirth or revival. One of the sculptures he presented in the slide show demonstrates this theme.
The sculpture, “February’s Song,” is made up of fabricated steel, plaster, glass spheres, and 12 animated song birds. The items were structured into a chandelier. In order to capture the moment in nature when birds gather and sing in a tree, each bird is motorized to sing at an individual time.
“It’s its own musical instrument. I like to think of it as paying homage to the very first symphonies, and representing that there can be light—in this case, song—in dark places. It’s that terror and sweetness,” Ortbal said.
The second lecture was held for the public at 6 p.m. and was preceded by a reception at 5:30 p.m. During the lecture Ortbal addressed any questions about the sculptures in the Gallery. He explained that the architecture and lighting of the Gallery are what gave direction to many of the pieces.  
“I want people to come away from my sculptures with the realization that there’s a celebration or exuberance of life,” Ortbal said.
For those interested in viewing the “Lattice” exhibition, the University Art Gallery will have Ortbal’s art on display until March 2.