Richard Deutsch is an American sculptor who works primarily in the Minimalist and Expressionist genres. 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."
Life and career
Deutsch was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1953. His grandparents emigrated to the United States from Russia in the first decade of the 20th century. His mother worked for the board of directors of the American Civil Liberties Union. Deutsch received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1976. He originally worked only in ceramics, and was influenced by Bizen ware. The first solo exhibition of his work occurred in Seattle, Washington, in 1978. In 1981, his work was part of the "American Porcelain" exhibit at the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution. 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 and begin creating much larger artworks designed for public spaces. In 2000, Deutsch collaborated with choreographer Liss Fain on her dance piece "Quarry." Real-time images of Deutsch at work on a sculpture were transmitted via the Internet and projects onto a scrim and four background panels while six dancers improvised movement. Technical difficulties marred the performance. Deutsch lives in Davenport, California.
Design philosophy
Deutsch 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. His public art is highly contextual, and he researches the history and setting of a site before beginning his work. His sculpture is also often collaborative, as he works with architects, engineers, and landscape architects to ensure that his art fits with the site. Deutsch works at a number of studio/workshops in China, Italy, and the United States, and utilizes material from around the world.
Noted works
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.
"Unity," a piece composed of several standing granite forms, also a City Center in Oakland, California.
"Etude," a piece at the entrance to the headquarters of Applied Materials in Santa Clara, California.
A granite "garden" of standing stones in a memorial garden at Congregation Shir Hadash in San Jose, California.
"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. The piece was originally intended for the intersection of Main Street and Tiburon Boulevard in Tiburon, California, was never installed.
"Water Story," a high black granite "mountain" over which water flows along "riverbeds" to an "ocean" below, located in front of the California Science Center.
