Richard Deutsch (born 1953) is an American sculptor who works primarily in the Minimalist and Expressionist genres.[1] Although his work ranges from small table-top pieces to multi-story sculptures, Deutsch "is well-known for his large-scale architectural and environmental projects."[2][3]
Richard Deutsch | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1953 Los Angeles, California, US |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of California, Santa Cruz |
| Known for | Sculpture |
| Movement | Minimalism, Expressionism |
Life and career
editDeutsch was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1953.[1][3] His grandparents emigrated to the United States from Russia in the first decade of the 20th century.[1] His mother worked for the board of directors of the American Civil Liberties Union.[1]
Deutsch received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1976.[1][2] He originally worked only in ceramics, and was influenced by Bizen ware (a type of very hard, reddish Japanese ceramic sculpture and pottery).[1] The first solo exhibition of his work occurred in Seattle, Washington, in 1978.[1] In 1981, his work was part of the "American Porcelain" exhibit at the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution.[4] (His contribution, "Equinox," is now part of the museum's permanent collection.[5]) After several years of exhibiting on the West Coast and making larger and larger sculptures, Deutsch decided in the mid-1980s to work in other materials (such as bronze, concrete, granite, plaster, stainless steel, and terrazzo) and begin creating much larger artworks designed for public spaces.[1][3][6]
In 2000, Deutsch collaborated with choreographer Liss Fain on her dance piece "Quarry."[6] Real-time images of Deutsch at work on a sculpture ("Seven Stones," a 20 by 36 feet (6.1 by 11.0 m) granite piece) were transmitted via the Internet and projects onto a scrim and four background panels while six dancers improvised movement (which was intended to make them appear to be interacting with the Deutsch).[6][7] Technical difficulties marred the performance.[8]
Deutsch lives in Davenport, California.[3][8]
Design philosophy
editDeutsch has described his more recent work as an attempt to create an "artist-driven environment" in which the audience interacts with his art by seeing it, touching it, being able to stop and contemplate it, and move through it.[2][3] His public art is highly contextual, and he researches the history and setting of a site before beginning his work.[2] His sculpture is also often collaborative, as he works with architects, engineers, and landscape architects to ensure that his art fits with the site.[2]
Deutsch works at a number of studio/workshops in China, Italy, and the United States, and utilizes material from around the world.[2]
Noted works
edit
The more notable of Deutsch's works include:
- "Voyage," a wall-like sculpture created from massive ship propellers, installed at the City Center in Oakland, California.[2][6][9][10]
- "Unity," a piece composed of several standing granite forms, also a City Center in Oakland, California.[6][9]
- "Against the Day," a rock sculpture at The Collection at Chevy Chase, a two-building luxury retail shopping center and 9,000 square feet (840 m2) park in Chevy Chase, Maryland.[11]
- "Axis," a sculpture of circular granite pieces set in a wooden groove at the entrance to the School of Engineering at Stanford University.[2][6]
- "Etude," a piece at the entrance to the headquarters of Applied Materials in Santa Clara, California.[2][6][10][12]
- A 70-short-ton (64 t) granite "garden" of standing stones in a memorial garden at Congregation Shir Hadash in San Jose, California.[10][13]
- "Hulls," two tall, lightweight, stone-like pieces which resemble sailboat sails in front of 500 Terry Francois in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco, California.[3] The piece was originally intended for the intersection of Main Street and Tiburon Boulevard in Tiburon, California, was never installed.[14][15]
- "Legacy," a large granite sculpture in the courtyard of the Constitution Center office building in Washington, D.C.[16]
- "Time Signature," a series of five stainless steel stacked circular forms in front of the Foundry Square office building complex in San Francisco.[2][17]
- "Stacked Column," a black basalt structure (similar to interlocking Lincoln Logs) in the lobby of the Regent Bal Harbour hotel in Bal Harbour, Florida.[18]
- "Water Story," a 5 feet (1.5 m) high black granite "mountain" over which water flows along "riverbeds" to an "ocean" (pool) below, located in front of the California Science Center.[1]
- "Harvest," consisting of bronze casts of farm implements welded together into a tower, which stands before the Oakland Museum of California.[1]
Awards and honors
editDeutsch was a Visiting Artist in 1987 at the American Academy in Rome, and received a grant in 1984 from the National Endowment for the Arts.[1] In 2007, Santa Cruz County, California, named him County Artist of the Year.[19]
Footnotes
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Richard Deutsch." Art Interview. Issue #007.[usurped] Accessed 7 April 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Bennett, Richard. "At the Engineering Facility on the Stanford Campus, He Created an 'Axis' of Stone." Oakland Tribune. May 6, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f "Lowe Enterprises Unveils 'Hulls' at 500 Terry Francois." Press release. Lowe Enterprises. April 22, 2008.
- ^ Conroy, Sarah Booth. "'American Porcelain': A Look at What's New in an Ancient Craft." Washington Post. November 9, 1980.
- ^ "Equinox." Collections. Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery. No date. Accessed 7 April 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g Amirrezvani, Anita. "Internet Enhances Dance Piece." San Jose Mercury News. September 22, 2000.
- ^ Dixon, Steve. Digital Performance: A History of New Media in Theater, Dance, Performance Art, and Installation. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2007, p. 425.
- ^ a b Amirrezvani, Anita. "Technical Difficulties Plague Liss fain's Brave New Work." San Jose Mercury News. September 30, 2000.
- ^ a b Unterman, Patricia. "Cafe Fontabella." San Francisco Chronicle. September 8, 1991.
- ^ a b c Jurich, Michele. "Garden Takes Shape As Site of Remembrance." San Jose Mercury News. June 9, 2005.
- ^ Rosenwald, Michael S. "Loftiest Names in Luxury, Under 2 Chevy Chase Roofs." Washington Post. August 11, 2005.
- ^ "Artfully Conceived Chip Project for Sunnyvale ." San Jose Business Journal. July 12, 1998.
- ^ Millner, Caille. "Temple Begins Building Memorial Granite Garden." San Jose Mercury News. December 23, 2004.
- ^ "Across Marin." Marin Independent Journal. November 2, 2002.
- ^ Bova, Carla. "Tiburon Calls Off Plans for Sculpture." Marin Independent Journal. October 21, 2003.
- ^ Rein, Lisa. "Constitution Center: All Dressed Up but Missing a Suitor." Washington Post. October 2, 2009; "Art." Constitution Center. David Nassif Associates. 2009. Archived April 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Accessed 13 March 2011.
- ^ "Annual Guide '09." Art in America. New York: Brant Art Publications, 2009, p. 3; STUDIOS Architecture. Buildings: Innovation + Technology. Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia: Images Publishing, 2009, p. 90.
- ^ Walton, Chelle Koster. "Artful Accommodations." RSW Living. May/June 2009, p. 48; "Joan Warren-Grady, Art Advisor for Luxury Hotel Properties Internationally, Completes Major Contemporary Art Collection for Regent Bal Harbour." Press Release. Regent Bal Harbour. December 5, 2008.
- ^ Guild, Todd. "Sculpture Exhibit Returns to Watsonville's Sierra Azul Nursery & Garden." Watsonville Register-Pajaronian. May 20, 2008.
External links
edit- Richard Deutsch Web site
- "Engineering Art", a program by KQED-TV focusing on Richard Deutsch
- Gallery of Richard Deutsch's smaller pieces at the Gerald Peters Gallery