About RICK

In the field of contemporary ceramics, Richard Hirsch has earned an international reputation. He has achieved this recognition by engaging in numerous diversified professional activities. Through efforts in teaching exhibitions, writings, lecturing, and research, Rick has risen to world-wide prominence.

In 1975, Hirsch co-authored a book entitled “RAKU”, published by Waston-Guptill. This was the first comprehensive text to address the new innovations developing in the West that were transforming traditional Japanese Raku. Also, in the same year, Hirsch became a founding faculty member of The Program in Artisanry at Boston University. In 1987 Rick accepted a Professorship in The School for American Crafts at The Rochester Institute of Technology. Now retired from full time teaching he is a Professor Emeritus at RIT. Hirsch’s university teaching career spanned well into five decades.

ABOUT THE WORK

My vessel abstractions reflect the belief that the container form is a potent emblem of human culture. I am striving to encode these objects with metaphorical meaning and emotional powers. Specifically, the intention is to construct vessel compositions that are imbued with the sensibility of ritual and embrace the spirit of reverence. Purposely conceived and constructed not to be functional, they are an attempt to address the transformative implications of usage over a long period. Aesthetic sustenance is drawn from archaic container prototypes. Further depictions of age, antiquity, history and time passage are infused by employing certain ceramic surfaces. These suggest weather eroded stone, patinaed metal and fire imprinted clay. Sometimes other materials such as iron, glass, bronze or wood are introduced to support the dialogue. Ultimately, this work is an attempt to metamorphosize the seemingly mundane vessel-object into a sacred entity.