Rick Van Ness & Rebekka Van Ness
Each lighted sculpture by artist Rick Van Ness combines the inherent elegance of a musical instrument with a wide range of materials including marble, glass, brass, steel, and granite, to name but a few. The result is a beautifully functional, one-of-a-kind work of art. At the Sound of Light Studio in Silver City, New Mexico, Rick creates sculptures that can incorporate parts of several musical instruments and stand seven feet tall. No two works are exactly alike. Each is a unique example of high-quality contemporary sculpture.
Rick was born in Miami Beach, Florida but was raised in Southern California where he was exposed to the creative atmosphere of the 1960s. When asked about his artistic influences Rick acknowledges the works of Alexander Calder and Edward Kienholz. He vividly recalls an exhibit he attended at the L.A. Museum of Art while still in high school. The installation entitled Back Seat “38 Buick” by Keinholz had an immense impact on Rick — the use of unrelated, discarded objects brought together to create artistic expression conjured strong emotion. Rick remembers its undeniably provocative and intriguing qualities as well.
While studying at Chapman College’s ‘World Campus Afloat,’ Rick visited India and Africa. His studies took him to Stanford University where he studied sculpture and relished in the possibilities that found objects allowed him. His greatest inspirations and works have often come out of making ‘things’ into other often useable, but always unexpected ‘things’. Upon leaving Stanford, Rick began to create lighted mobiles made from beach-worn driftwood, long leather strips, and sand-cast candles which, when lit, flickered with dancing light on the ceiling and walls. Rick sold these mobiles from a street corner behind The Cannery in San Francisco. Nepenthe in Big Sur also kept a prominent display of his work.
Rick’s first piece, in the early eighties, incorporating a musical instrument, brought requests for more from friends and admirers. Non-functional vintage instruments soon became the focus of his work. He put together a collection, set up a booth at an outdoor fine art show in San Francisco, and the Sound of Light was born.
In the past three decades, Rick has participated in more than 400 juried fine art shows and has sold his sculpture to collectors from around the world. His work has been gifted to and collected by well-known celebrities and luminaries and is seen in thousands of fine homes around the globe. His work is prominently featured in the corporate offices of EMI Record’s Latin Department and Univision Music Worldwide offices. The lighted sculptures are a delight for musicians, aficionados, and fine art collectors who appreciate the way his art reveals a modern sensibility for abstract form while evoking visions of a romantic past. Rick’s creations have been aptly described as “music to the eyes.”
Memberships and Affiliations:
American Craft Council, member, Artist Level, 1993 to present
Bellevue Art Museum, member, Artist Level, 1997 to 2002
Kimball Art Foundation, Park City Utah, member, Mentor Level, 1998 to 2002
La Quinta Arts Foundation, member, Artist Level, 1999 to 2003
Sound of Light Gallery and Studio
~studio open by appointment only~
Silver City, New Mexico
505.388.2140
