Ricardo Arango & Thomas Lollar

Thomas Lollar earned his BFA and MA at Western Michigan University. Once a visiting artist/scholar at the American Academy in Rome, and currently on the faculty of Columbia University, Lollar has been teaching ceramics and sculpture since 1975. A master sculptor, his subjects are rendered in both frontal bas-relief and aerial views, with a focus on re-imagining architectural, geographical, and historical narratives. He works in ceramic, marble, and metal, with which he achieves unique surface colors by a distinctive application of copper, bronze, and platinum metallic paints and glazes.

Inspired by the sculpture of Anthony Caro, Louise Nevelson, Omar Rayo, and David Smith, Ricardo Arango is dedicated as Lollar to the combination of materials, and is always trying to highlight the beauty of each, whether ceramic, glass, marble, or steel. He says, “The diverse qualities of materials excite my imagination such as the flexibility of clay, the rigidity of metal, and the fluid nature of fired glass. I create seeking to explore the visual relationships between the materials in creating new forms.” His steady commitment to composition is seen throughout the body of his work, which is executed in soft edges, sharp points, rounded forms, and vibrant colors.

To read an article in Artlyst about the duo and their work, as featured in the Winter Show, please click anywhere on the text of this sentence.