Rick Wrigley

Artist Statement

After 25 years as an art-furniture maker and over 10 years designing and building houses, I am now finding new inspiration as a sculptor. Prior to this career change, my creative process involved working within the tight constraints set by the function of the object or building I was designing. For instance, a successful design for a chair, a table, or especially a house must meet a very particular set of functional criteria. In the case of a commission, the needs and desires of the client, as well as the budget, add further constraints.
For many years, I enjoyed the challenge of solving aesthetic problems within these types of strict parameters. The work required a discipline I was comfortable with. But I now feel drawn to move beyond the functional limits inherent in architectural and furniture design. Exploring new aesthetic challenges as a sculptor has become my current focus.
I search for the intangible—perhaps the poetic—within the material, without much concern for theory. While I would not discourage intellectual reflection as part of the viewer’s experience with my work, I hope that thinking remains secondary to feeling and sensing. Toward the aim of evoking an emotional and sensory response in the viewer, I make intuitive choices regarding materials, texture, color, and form.
I bring decades of experience as an art-furniture maker and designer to my practice as a sculptor. My work is informed by a concern for craftsmanship and an intimate knowledge of how to shape and manipulate my materials. As I work, I watch for the visual surprises that often occur as a sculpture evolves from sketch to mock-up to the actual making of the final work. It is in these discoveries that I find opportunities for authentic artistic expression to emerge.