595 West Wilson Street
Costa Mesa, California 92627
949-331-5654

Richard Bohn was born in Ames, Iowa, USA, His family moved to Berkley California where Richard grew up. Richard’s academic pursuits led him to Southern California where he attended college in San Luis Obispo, San Diego and Pasadena. Rich settled down in Orange County, making a home in the quiet costal town of Costa Mesa for the last 32 years. Richard’s chose a profession in Advertising Art Direction. Art Direction has provided a seamless connection to his life’s passion as an artist, musician, hiker, woodworker and gardener. Richard’s skill set as an artist cover a broad array of expression including; Painting, Printmaking, Collage, Photography, Mixed Media Assemblage, Sculpture & Jewelry.

Richard earned a Bachleor of Arts degree in Painting & Printmaking from San Diego State University in 1973. He also studied Architecture, Art & Graphic Design at California State Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo & attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, studying advertising design & design concept.

“Art as a personal statement is the reconciliation of the contrasts & contradictions that exist within my life and all our lives in general, such as the dichotomy of commercial art & personal art. Art, as a social statement, is the engagement / reaction / interaction and perception of art by the viewer, such as when the audience at a show or event is compelled by art to throw a dollar into a “Tip Concept Sculpture” or grab and turn a “Suspended 3D Interactive Collage”, or re-arranging the elements of an interactive composition. The art process has always been based on the intrinsic beauty of a basic element, material or found object. The effect of an element, such as a cast shadow, or material, such as an Xerox image, or media, such as spray paint or carpet tube, is rooted in inspiration, fun and an esthetic integration with ones everyday life. They are then elevated by the artist to the state of art as Kurt Switers did with his found object paper collage associated with the Dada movement.”

Richard’s current work falls into 12 on-going veins, categories, series, and philosophies sharing commonalities on different levels. They are: EnviroScape, MusicScape, Tip Concept Sculpture, 3D Interactive Collage, Medical Imaging Series, Mobile Series, Totem Series, Symbolic Series, Mandala Series, Filter Series, The H20 Series & Miscellaneous. They are all based on a process of intuitive collecting, whether it be a collection of textural patterns, photographic images, paper colors and shapes, pedestals, Xerox special effects, digital output, roofing vents, paint effects, & treatments, scraps & leftovers from other projects, either commercial or personal, art or non-art & found object.

The 3D Interactive Collage is a logical progression that sprang from the 2D collage process. Potential energy is hard to restrain, flat elements become folded or bent . . . if only by accident. Even a 2D collage has dimension in overlap & build-up of thickness. Found object collecting, following the lead & mystery of non-thinking, creative intuition that played a roll in the transformation of stock piled 2D collage elements. The catalyze being the sale purchase of a 4” deep shadow box frame. Seemingly unrelated elements then come together in a trial & error performance that results in the delicate balance of an actual 3D Interactive Collage.

“Being a musician & performer for many years, I have discovered that the interaction with the audience has become source of energy and inspiration, sometimes anxiety, but always interesting. A tip jar is the perfect symbol for the point of synergy between the social, commercial & artistic aspects of art as performance. The relationship of the viewer/audience and the exaggerated presence the “Tip Concept” receptacle/pedestal engages & reminds the viewer of the social responsibility to support the arts financially, or just support the “Tip Jar Concept” & Artist.”

“A five dollar bill magically suspended & waving in air, or a laser light and audio mix signaling the activation of the “Tip Concept” at various time intervals while listeners are compelled to wad up money & shoot a basket, removable Pass the Hats with motion sensors, voice activation & kinetics replaces the traditional guitar case ( ala; the Venice Street Player Model) . . . with a tip magnet. It’s the 5th member of the musical group and gets it’s own cut of the take. The Tip Concept Sculpture takes it’s place on stage with its associates: Music, Dance & Theater. A thesis on the history, folklore & economics of tipping (not cows) is in the writing, a key element for an art showing.

“Art is a realistic venue to meet & share philosophy, ideas, and processes with others. This is a rare function & should be nurtured & expanded upon. Also, an awareness of art and its function in society should be facilitation and re-enforced as a means to more fully experience life, expanding the importance of art within the larger populations’ collective culture and as a tool to keep those close to us. Art is a venue to inspire, create and share with the viewer the real & symbolic elements that embody life. Its ideas and its forms instill & portray experience as a contrasting combination of self expression, as a sharing with nature & our social environment & . . . the engagement & involvement of the viewer, to see something new, to find something more, or re-evaluate something taken for granted . . . as a direct result of contact with art” . . . Richard Bohn