Richard Artschwager (1923 - 2013)

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An American painter, illustrator and sculptor, Richard Artschwager was born in Washington, D.C. to European immigrants. In 1941, Artschwager studied chemistry and mathematics at Cornell University and, in 1944, was sent to England and France to fight in World War II. In 1947, Artschwager returned to college and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in physics. After working as a baby photographer, Artschwager began to study with Amedee Ozenfant in Paris for a year. He enrolled in a nude painting workshop, from which his paintings and drawings were exhibited in two group shows at the Terrain Gallery in 1957 and 1959 at the Art Directions Gallery. Artschwager also worked as a furniture designer to support his family. Moreover, he was commissioned from the Catholic Church to build portable altars for ships. His piece, Handle (1962), is one of his most famous, as it utilizes both the three-dimensionality of a sculpture as well as the two-dimensionality of a painting. He enjoyed painting grey acrylic monochrome pictures, which were based on his black-and-white photography. Artschwager's work is included in many museum collections, such as the Museum of Modern Art, and Art Institute of Chicago.