Untitled (Box with drawers), 1971

Richard Artschwager was a painter and sculptor with a reputation for being a creative individualist. He earned a B.A. in Physics from Cornell University, studying before and after his military service in World War II. But his passion for the arts continued throughout his life, and he studied art in Paris for one year following the war. He developed a business as a furniture designer and manufacturer, building modern and simple pieces to support his family. He was able to merge his artistic expression with his work as a skilled craftsman, and often used construction materials, such as Celotex, Formica, and wood in combination with his painting. He is famous for creating “blps”, which were punctuation marks enlarged and made of wood, horsehair and paint and placed in spaces, becoming linguistic references. Richard Artschwager is noted for his work with architectural themes exploring the processes of fragmentation and expansion. He created his art using his own photographs, three-dimensional furniture, mirrors and reflections, painted woods, “blps” as commentary, inventive combinations of items, unexpected locations and inversions of scale. His Table with Pink Tablecloth is one highly regarded example of his preference for domesticity and subjects related to interior design. His work is included in museums around the world.