Richard Raymond Burkhart
Self-portrait. 2026
Drawing in the Negative
Like clouds, constantly changing under the movement of the winds, so too the human being is constantly under the movement of forces within, whether they be the flow of physical energies, or of ephemeral tides of thoughts, emotions, or other intangible entities.
Since childhood I have been enchanted with the expressive potential of the human form, from images of western Renaissance masters, to contemporary dance theater. There seems to me to be no better method to express the momentary reality and depth of human experience than these two forms. Thus, all my drawings are made from actual sitters during intensive sessions of short and long poses. The drawings are finished on the spot. No further development is possible. Like dance, once the performance is over – it is over.
I work from the negative. The image is pulled to form by removal of light against dark edges. If I am not satisfied I rub out and start anew on the same page with the next pose. No poses are repeated. Out of thirty to forty poses I keep two or three. The longest pose is usually twenty minute. Longer poses always produce stiff and unnatural images. The interior reveals itself only briefly.
Education:
Pratt Institute, Brooklyn N.Y. 1983. Master of Fine Arts
Hunter College, New York N.Y. 1993. Master of Arts
University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii. 1980. Bachelor of Fine Arts
Exhibitions:
Foehn Wind. Paintings. 2019. Terzi Cafe Gallery. Bologna, Italy.
North. Paintings. 2018. Terzi Cafe Gallery. Bologna, Italy.
Brew. Paintings. 2017. Terzi Cafe Gallery. Bologna, Italy.
Unsent Letters. Paintings. 2016. Terzi Cafe Gallery. Bologna, Italy.
Surrounded by Angels. Paintings. 2012. Café Estravagario. Bologna, Italy.
A Break in the Clouds, Paintings. 2008. Café Estravagario. Bologna, Italy.
Fake Flowers: Il giardino invernale di Persephone, Sculpture. 2007. Café Estravagario.Bologna, Italy.
Moved. Paintings. 2005. Café Estravagario. Bologna, Italy.
From Scratch: Paintings. 2005. Café Estravagario, Bologna, Italy.
Grants
Nessa Cohen Travel Grant for Sculpture. 1997.
All text and images property of the artist. All rights reserved.