Wolfgang A. Ritschel
Wolfgang A. Ritschel, a nationally and
internationally known artist, studied fine arts,
pharmacy, medicine and philosophy. After a
successful academic career (12 scientific books and
more than 440 articles), he turned full-time to art. He
had more than 50 solo exhibitions of his paintings and
sculptures in the USA, South American and Europe
and participated in more that 200 group shows in the
last decade. His works have been acquired by several
museums and public institutions, and are found in
numerous private and corporate collections throughout
the USA, in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Austria,
France, Germany and Switzerland.
internationally known artist, studied fine arts,
pharmacy, medicine and philosophy. After a
successful academic career (12 scientific books and
more than 440 articles), he turned full-time to art. He
had more than 50 solo exhibitions of his paintings and
sculptures in the USA, South American and Europe
and participated in more that 200 group shows in the
last decade. His works have been acquired by several
museums and public institutions, and are found in
numerous private and corporate collections throughout
the USA, in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Austria,
France, Germany and Switzerland.
"On my extensive local and worldwide travels I imbibe the beauty of nature, of land-, sky-, sea-, and
cityscapes, as well as of the people living there and their social and cultural environment, as a basis for the
realization of a life-long creative impulse and ambition. My present painting style evolved over many years as
a consequence of experiencing tremendously intensive, vibrant and brilliant color perception at high altitude
(above 14,000 feet) in the Andes Mountains - and to some extent in New Mexico and Arizona, with drastically
increased contrast between light and shadow and loss of aerial perception. The colors in my paintings are
obviously not realistic, but rather fauvistic renderings of how I 'feel, see and hear' colors as an overall very
optimistic and romantic individual.
My expressionistic sculptures are a unique mixed-media combination of discarded (and thus recycled)
stainless-steel medical instruments, steel elements for support and structure welded together, and leaded
stained glass. The stained glass used is either colored transparent or opaque art glass, painted glass or
stained by kiln-firing or baking-on. Often stained glass elements or panels are soldered on top of each other
or otherwise three dimensionally arranged. Most of my sculptures have medical themes, and because
stainless steel and stained glass are inorganic (dead) materials, but the topic of the sculpture deals with life, I
use tree segments as pedestals where the tree segment symbolizes life, power,strength and continuity."
cityscapes, as well as of the people living there and their social and cultural environment, as a basis for the
realization of a life-long creative impulse and ambition. My present painting style evolved over many years as
a consequence of experiencing tremendously intensive, vibrant and brilliant color perception at high altitude
(above 14,000 feet) in the Andes Mountains - and to some extent in New Mexico and Arizona, with drastically
increased contrast between light and shadow and loss of aerial perception. The colors in my paintings are
obviously not realistic, but rather fauvistic renderings of how I 'feel, see and hear' colors as an overall very
optimistic and romantic individual.
My expressionistic sculptures are a unique mixed-media combination of discarded (and thus recycled)
stainless-steel medical instruments, steel elements for support and structure welded together, and leaded
stained glass. The stained glass used is either colored transparent or opaque art glass, painted glass or
stained by kiln-firing or baking-on. Often stained glass elements or panels are soldered on top of each other
or otherwise three dimensionally arranged. Most of my sculptures have medical themes, and because
stainless steel and stained glass are inorganic (dead) materials, but the topic of the sculpture deals with life, I
use tree segments as pedestals where the tree segment symbolizes life, power,strength and continuity."
