Richard Artschwager

Much of Artschwager's deals with representations of natural versus synthetic materials and how they are manifested in our daily lives. For example, instead of creating sculptures out of wood, he will use vinyl with wood grain printed on it; or he will opt for formica instead of marble. Artschwager combines these materials, intended to be imitations, with natural ones in his sculptures and paintings. Many of his works reflect minimal Modernist design ideas from the mid-20th century, the age which introduced and celebrated items such as plastic, vinyl, and formica. This was also the time in which Pop art flourished, and Artschwager's works more than a little of this sensibility.