Each lighted sculpture by artist Rick Van Ness combines the inherent
elegance of a musical instrument with a wide range of materials
including marble, glass, brass, steel, and granite, to name but a few.
The result is a beautifully functional, one-of-a-kind work of art. At
the Sound of Light Studio in Silver City, New Mexico, Rick creates
sculptures that can incorporate parts of several musical instruments
and stand seven feet tall. No two works are exactly alike. Each is a
unique example of high-quality contemporary sculpture.
Rick was
born in Miami Beach, Florida but was raised in Southern California
where he was exposed to the creative atmosphere of the 1960s. When
asked about his artistic influences, Rick acknowledges the works of
Alexander Calder and Edward Kienholz. He vividly recalls an exhibit he
attended at the L.A. Museum of Art while still in high school. The
installation entitled Back Seat "38 Buick" by Keinholz had an immense
impact on Rick -- the use of unrelated, discarded objects brought
together to create artistic expression conjured strong emotion. Rick
remembers its undeniably provocative and intriguing qualities as well.
While
studying at Chapman College’s 'World Campus Afloat,' Rick visited India
and Africa. His studies took him to Stanford University where he
studied sculpture and relished in the possibilities that found objects
allowed him. His greatest inspirations and works have often come out of
making ‘things’ into other often useable, but always unexpected
'things'. Upon leaving Stanford, Rick began to create lighted mobiles
made from beach-worn driftwood, long leather strips, and sand-cast
candles which, when lit, flickered with dancing light on the ceiling
and walls. Rick sold these mobiles from a street corner behind The
Cannery in San Francisco. Nepenthe in Big Sur also kept a prominent
display of his work.
Rick's first piece, in the early eighties,
incorporating a musical instrument, brought requests for more from
friends and admirers. Non-functional vintage instruments soon became
the focus of his work. He put together a collection, set up a booth at
an outdoor fine art show in San Francisco, and the Sound of Light was
born.
In the past three decades, Rick has participated in more
than 400 juried fine art shows and has sold his sculpture to collectors
from around the world. His work has been gifted to and collected by
well-known celebrities and luminaries and is seen in thousands of fine
homes around the globe. His work is prominently featured in the
corporate offices of EMI Record's Latin Department, Univision Music’s
Worldwide offices, and the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and
Medicine in New York. His lighted sculptures are a delight for
musicians, aficionados, and fine art collectors who appreciate the way
the art reveals a modern sensibility for abstract form while evoking
visions of a romantic past. Rick’s creations have been aptly described
as "music to the eyes."
Memberships and Affiliations:
American Craft Council, member, Artist Level, 1993 to present Bellevue Art Museum, member, Artist Level, 1997 to 2002 Kimball Art Foundation, Park City Utah, member, Mentor, 1998 to 2002 La Quinta Arts Foundation, member, Artist Level, 1999 to 2003
