Riis Burwell
Santa Rosa, California, United States
"Abstract Metal Sculptor"
Sculpture
Explore the artistic vision and craftsmanship of Riis Burwell
Essential Energies
This bronze Public Art sculpture was designed as a flame to suggest the utility company’s role in ensuring the constant flow of energy
4 × 10 × 4 Inches
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Through the Clouds
The goal was to fulfill the 1% for art requirement as stipulated by the city of Burbank. To do this, Trammell Crow Company elected to commission a major piece of sculpture with a theme relating to flight, as a focal point for the building\\\'s outdoor entryway.
9 × 13 × 9 Inches
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Spirit Form Emerging
This bronze sculpture was Commissioned as a major sculpture for a new $80 million mixed-use project. It was situated so as to be a landmark in the center of the plaza,creating a public focal point for this “metropolitan lifestyle center” combining office space, residential living and retail. (Spirit Form Version 1 was created as a memorial to the victims of 9/11/2001.)
6 × 21 × 6 Inches
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Centerfield
This bronze Sculpture was a percent for art project for the City of Cupertino and T-Mobile. They requested a sculpture to hang on a monopole cell tower placed at the edge of a public baseball field. To my knowledge, this is the only percent-for- art sculpture placed on an inner-city cell tower.
5 × 12 × 4 Inches
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About the Artist
R I I S C. B U R W E L L
3815 Calistoga Road | Santa Rosa | CA | 95404 | ph/fx 707-538-2676
riis@riisburwell.com | www.riisburwell.com
RESUME
COMMISSIONS/SPECIAL PROJECTS/AWARDS:
2012 Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport, 12’ bronze, Syncronetic #4, CA
2011 PG&E Customer Service Ctr, 10’, Bronze,Essential Energies, Santa Rosa, CA
2011 Loyola Center for Health, Infinity 2, 22” stainless steel, Burr Ridge, IL
2011 Memorial Park, 12’ Bronze, Centerfield, T-Mobile, Cupertino, CA
2010 Serenade Towers, 1.2 meters Bronze & Stainless Steel wall piece and 7’X12”X30” Bronze & Stainless Steel free standing piece, Hong Kong
2009 m.design, Synergetic, 36” Bronze & Stainless Steel, London
2008 Packer Residence, 6’ Bronze Spirit Form Emerging, Henderson, NV
2007 Four Seasons Lumiere Place Hotel, 6’ Bronze, Cloud Totem II, St. Louis
2007 Wilshire Grand, 28” Bronze & Stainless Steel, Spirit Form Horizontal, L.A.
2006 Palms Imaging, 48” Bronze, Oxnard, CA
2006 The Continuity Company, (4) 28” sculptures, Hong Kong
2005 The MGM Mirage, 5‘Bronze, Cloud Form, Las Vegas, Nevada
2005 Neuberg International, Ltd, 32” Bronze Spirit Form Emerging, Hong Kong
2005 Presbyterian Hospital of Denton, (2) 44” Bronze wall pieces, Denton, Texas
2004 The District at Green Valley Ranch Resort, 17’ Bronze, Spirit Form Emerging, Henderson, NV
2003 Suffolk Special Projects, Reception Lobby, Bronze, Entropy #45, Boston, MA
2002 Hyatt Vineyard Creek, 11’ Bronze, Spirit Form Emerging, Santa Rosa, CA
2001 Burbank Airport Plaza - 13’ Bronze, Through the Clouds, Burbank, CA
2000 Ornamental Fence/Gate – Congregation Beth Ami, Santa Rosa
1993 Bronze Award “Art of California “magazine, Discovery Awards
EXHIBITIONS:
2011-2013 Lake Oswego, Gallery without Walls, Lake Oswego, OR
2010-2011 Napa Art Walk, Napa, CA
2009 Cloverdale Annual Sculpture Exhibit, Cloverdale, CA
2008 California Shakespeare Theatre Sculpture Grove, Orinda, CA
2007-2008 ArtScape Orinda, Orinda, CA
2007 California Shakespeare Theatre Sculpture Grove, Orinda, CA
2005 A Tribute to the Artist, Art Concepts, Walnut Creek, CA
2005 Concepts & Process, SRJCC Art Gallery, CA
2005 Spectrum Outdoors, Paradise Ridge Winery, Santa Rosa, CA
2004 Bronze in Paradise, Paradise Wood Sculpture grove, Santa Rosa, CA
2002 Santa Rosa Art Walk 2002, Santa Rosa, CA
2001 Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2000 Windsor Gallery, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
1999 I. Wolk Gallery, St. Helena, CA
1998 Olive Grove Sculpture Gallery, Auberge du Soleil, Napa, CA
1993 Contemporary Constructivism – Los Angeles County Museum, CA
1992 Pacific Rim Sculptors, Marin, CA
1990 Sandy Carson Gallery, Denver, CO
1989 Fresno State University, Fresno, CA
Riis Burwell Page 2
COLLECTIONS:
Museums:
Fresno Museum of Art
Corporate:
Kaiser Permanente Suffolk Construction Co. MGM Mirage Hotel & Casino
Trammell Crow Co. Jones Spacelink Neuberg International, Hong Kong
Williams Corporation American Nevada Company Presbyterian Hospital of Denton
Hyatt Corporation Hotel Vue Plage, France Wilshire Grand Hotel
Valley Lab Company SAS Institute Four Seasons
T-Mobile PG & E Loyola Center for Health
Private:
Numerous personal collections within the United
Artist Statement
I am always interested in participating in public art projects because I believe in the intrinsic value that art adds to the man-made environment.
During the past 25 years I have been creating abstract sculpture almost exclusively in metal. While a variety of metals are available for fabricating sculpture, I have a strong preference for steel, stainless steel and bronze because of their permanence and inherent beauty as well as their duality of character. They are, at the same time, utilitarian yet graceful and have the ability to evoke a variety of textures through surface treatment: from naturally rusted to smooth and gleaming; from a soft natural patina to deep brown or black. They also lend themselves equally well to both tabletop pieces and monumental sculpture. Since I do not cast any part of a sculpture, but rather hand-fabricate all shapes for each particular piece, the final product is unique unto itself. These metals demand of the artist, but perform in equal measure.
My sculpture is an exploration–emotional, spiritual and physical–of what is unseen in nature. I seek to create a tangible expression of the intangible. The work draws its vitality from my fascination with the opposing forces of geometry and entropy that underlie the structure of the physical world. The delicate balance between order and chaos, growth and decay of all matter intrigues and inspires me. I attempt to sculpturally express this dynamic tension in my work through the graceful juxtaposition of form and line in opposing abstract elements and through the use of positive and negative space. Often, a sculpture is composed of a central angular shape of substantial mass intertwined with more delicate, rounded sculptural forms. Successful artistic synthesis of these forms results in sculpture infused with energy.
I would draw from my prior experience in creating Essential Energies commissioned in 2011 by Pacific Gas and Electric Company is a 10 foot abstract bronze sculpture designed to suggest a flame. In 2010 I completed two sculptures for Serenade Towers, a Hong Kong Condominium. Entropy #42 is a 12.5 foot bronze & stainless steel wall piece and Entropy #29 is a 7 foot bronze & stainless steel free standing piece.
Spirit Form Emerging Version 2 was commissioned in 2004 by the American Nevada Company for an $80 million mixed-use project. The sculpture stands 21 feet tall and is the focal point for the central plaza.
In 2001, I made a “Percent-for-Art” sculpture for the Burbank Airport Business Plaza. I designed and fabricated Through the Clouds, a 13-foot bronze and stainless steel piece. In that same year, I installed a Percent-for-Art sculpture for the Vineyard Creek Inn and Convention Center in Santa Rosa, California. “Spirit Form: Emerging,” is an elegant 11 foot bronze sculpture that was inspired by 9/11 2001.