Ralph Helmick


"My artwork arises from a search for an aesthetic appropriate to the new millenium. In this pursuit I acknowledge both classical figuration and the art of the 20th century, in particular Surrealist, Conceptualist and Constructivist influences.

Past projects have been described as "left-brain surrealism", "drug free hallucinations", and examples of "organic high tech".

For reasons I would term as "political", my primary focus during the past ten years has been on creating sculpture for public spaces.

Often, my work blends classical technique with modern analysis, synthesizing humanistic form with high technology.

While I embrace aspects of high technology and employ computers in certain stages of design, my goal is to create sculpture that promotes meditative reflection, acting as antidote to the dominant frenetic media culture.
The artwork starts with the hand and ends with the hand.

The human form, a favorite and recurring subject, invites a range of formal and conceptual explorations. As a sculptor, I view it as a kind of theater, able to absorb and explore the complexities of 21st century world culture.

In my public commissions, I frequently collaborate with Stuart Schechter, an artist and former rocket scientist."


Ghost Writer

helmick@mediaone.net