Internationally acclaimed artist Richard Erdman makes the impossible occur on a routine basis: From the seemingly grounded to the truly ethereal, his sculptures express a vitality which transcends their temporality. The inspirations for his creations are multi-faceted and varied. They do, however, have a common thread evolving from the artist's own reverence for nature, which was crystallized during his childhood in Vermont. The local mountains, forests and stone quarries were his playground. In the summer, he would explore these mountains like a treasure trove and in the winter he skied them, a passion that earned him honors as twice All-American Champion during his college career.
After graduating from the University of Vermont, he traveled to Italy, first to Florence and later to Carrara, which is the world's finest source of stone. Following an apprenticeship with master stonecutters, he established a studio in Carrara and embarked on a lifelong quest to expose the hidden wonders of each new creation. Whether working in stone, bronze or steel, Erdman's creative process is a veritable conversation with the medium, suggesting form and essence while listening to and feeling the response.
The mastery and spirit that the artist's work exudes has created an enormous international following. Richard Erdman's sculptures are located in museums, as well as in public and private collections in 38 countries throughout the world.
The artist has had more than 115 solo and group exhibitions throughout North America and abroad. He has executed over 80 public & corporate commission for distinguished patrons world wide such as; The Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Sculpture Gardens at PepsiCo, The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Princeton University, Four Seasons Park in Singapore, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, King Faisal Foundation in Riyadh, Shangri-La Hotel in Beijing and The Rockefeller Collection in New York, to name a few.
In 1985, PepsiCo commissioned Erdman to create the monumental sculpture Passage, which stands like a sentinel at the entrance of the esteemed Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens at PepsiCo, considered to be the finest collection of major 20th century outdoor sculpture. The twenty-five foot long, sixteen foot high Passage is the largest sculpture in the world created from a single piece of marble. Carved from a massive 320-ton block of travertine, Passage wondrously embodies lightness, fluidity and grace, epitomizing Erdman's ingenious ability to create the chimerical from the prosaic.
Richard Erdman maintains studios both at his home in Williston, Vermont and in Carrara, Italy where he travels frequently. The artist and his wife Madeleine, who operates Vermont's renowned equestrian center, Imajica, live in the resplendent setting of nature's purity and ever-changing seasons. It is from this backdrop that Erdman draws his strength, vision and purpose, transforming them into the timeless variations of stone and bronze.
- Claire Dammers