The art of Southwest native Richard Pankratz is design driven. After studying at the Kansas City Art Institute, Richard set out to be unrestricted by either subject or media. He feels that artists must somehow find a way to express a segment of the world in which they exist, and that as they take this journey themes should be continually explored in multi-faceted arrays of variation. His artwork blends together ceramic and bronze, and both form and function in his custom fine art sculptures and furniture.
“In this Functional Art table, a collaborative piece created with master woodworker Dan Rieple, the gracefully crossed female looking legs in wood at each end represent humanity and our interdependence upon each other. Literally we support each other. The bronze section represents our planet, our environment, and our world, which is the very means of our continued existence. There is a dependence here that I do not see as being fully appreciated. If in our collective arrogance, we destroy the ability of our planet to provide for us, then all the money in the world that it is possible for us to accumulate will be of no help to anyone.” – Richard Pankratz
