Biography

Internationally acclaimed artist Richard Erdman makes the impossible occur on a routine basis: From the seemingly grounded to the truly ethereal, his sculptures express a vitality which transcends their temporality. The inspirations for his creations are multi-faceted and varied. They do, however, have a common thread evolving from the artist's own reverence for nature, which was crystallized during his early years in Vermont.

Erdman grew up in Dorset, VT at the foothills of the oldest marble quarries in the U.S., not surprisingly, these early experiences greatly influenced this sculptor’s life and work. He marveled at the cavernous shapes and formations of the quarries whose weather-beaten layers and textures unveiled the mystery of stone. He also engaged his passion of joyous physicality and risk-taking, leaping from high quarry walls to the water below challenged by new heights and dreams. These two elements - a love of the medium and an intimate relationship with nature’s raw energy and beauty, inform his work today.
 

Richard’s adaptability and his intimate understanding of the materials with which he sculpts have led to the creation of a prolific body of work which encompasses intimate maquettes to massive monumental works. Known for his forward-thinking modern adaptations of marble and bronze sculptures in graceful, flowing designs, Richard Erdman’s massive marble sculptures weighing up to 50 tons defy gravity, bringing warmth and light to their resilient stone bodies.
 

The artist’s work has been shown in more than 140 solo and group exhibitions throughout North America, Europe and Asia. He has executed over 100 commissioned works for museums, public, and corporate collections. His work is held in collections in 50 countries worldwide for distinguished patrons such as; The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Princeton University, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Four Seasons Park in Singapore, King Faisal Foundation in Riyadh, Shangri-La Hotel in Beijing, Bharti Airtel in New Delhi, Handsome Fashion in Seoul, The Rockefeller Collection in New York, to name a few. In 1985 PepsiCo commissioned Erdman to create the monumental sculpture Passage, which stands like a sentinel at the entrance to the esteemed Donald M. Kendall sculpture gardens at PepsiCo, considered to be the finest collection of 20th century outdoor sculpture. Carved from a massive 450 ton block of travertine, the 25 by 16 foot Passage is the largest sculpture in the world carved from a single block of marble; it wondrously embodies lightness, fluidity and grace, epitomizing Erdman’s ability to create the chimerical from the prosaic.

Richard Erdman and his wife Madeleine live in Williston, VT and divide time between studios in Vermont and Carrara, Italy.