| Richard H. Karnatz |
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Born in Ft. Lauderdale Florida in 1961, I have studied art as my life's work. After starting out with a BFA in photography, I switched to printmaking in 1986 and have worked, using it, with some of the 20th century's biggest artists.
My career started 1n 1976 as an apprentice to 5 women Artisans at Calabash Pottery and Clayworks in Fayettville Arkansas. This was followed by an 18 month apprenticeship with sculptor Frank Williams on a public, WPA like, installation project in the fayetteville park system. From there I entered the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville for the first half of my college career. It did not take long to realize this school had limited resources to the fine arts department to Fund football. Which is a main priority there.
I finished my degree at the University of South Florida, earning a BFA with Honors. I was then hired by USF's Graphic Studio. A Fine Art atelier. The shop run by Donald Saff, for research into printmaking and the arts. I worked on projects there by artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist and Robert Raushenberg.
On leaving Florida I moved to New York to work for Ken Tyler Graphics and manage his Screen Printing department. After leaving his employ I managed Studio Heinrici in Manhattan until I open my own printing studio in 1992. My first job was for the Smithsonian Museum . I worked with artist Luis Cruz Azaceta. We worked together collaboratively on a print based on his painting "Fragile Crossing". Which is now in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian and the national gallery. http://artcollectorsprogram.org/TheCollection/fine_art_prints/azaceta.htm#
I suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury in late 1992. As part of my rehabilitation I studied computers and their application to print and photography at the Fashion Institute of Technology and at Pratt Manhattan with computer artist Lawrence Gartel.
I was chased out of Manhattan shortly after 9-11 by escalating real estate prices and moved to New Orleans to open a new shop just in time for Katrina. I now have a shop in Texarkana Texas and plan to move it to the Eureka Springs Arkansas area, near the Crystal Bridges museum, within the next 5 years.
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| About the Artist |
My main inspiration has been To try and share the joy I find in color. It remains so entrancing to me. Being a visually disabled artist (I survived a Traumatic Brain Injury in 1992)COLOR became more important to me as I lost visual acuity. Over my thirty plus years as a working artist I have enjoyed access to many media. Both visual and adio, as a band member and composer. I have settled on this mode of working which allows me to share meaning and my feelings more directly with the other participants in the equation.
Though a printmaker, I use the silkscreen like a brush to paint my canvas with color and image. I have chosen to work on canvas and continue the research side of my craft. Something imbued in me by Donald Saff at USF Graphicstudio (first fine art atelier I worked at). This has allowed me to developed a three dimensional water-based printing method unique to my studio, Bent Fish Editions. |
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Click to enlarge images (if larger image has been loaded) |
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TurnPike
1991 Silkscreen ink on REEVES BFK 81 cm X 101.5 cm |
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A found photograph from the 1958 world book encyclopedia. I was mesmerized by it. |
Ode to Archimedes
1992 Silkscreen ink on REEVES BFK 81cm X 101.5cm |
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Six color silkscreen celebrating an invention that revolutionized the world even more than sliced bread. |
Tienanmen Chair
2007 Acrylic and ink on canvas. Upholstered on chair frame. 88cm-H 44 cm-W 48cm-D |
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A mixture of word play and image-in-nation |
Burned Out Light Bulb
2002 ink and Akrylic on cancas with printed pnosphorescent additions 51 X 71cm |
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early 3-D printed impasto work. |
Blue
2004 acrylic and ink on canvas. 54cm X 76cm |
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Can color exist without a descriptor. Is it the word blue, or does color only need it's opposite to differentiate itself from chaos? |
Multi-Colored
2004 Acrylic, ink and printed impasto on canvas 51 X 76 |
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Part of a series exploring words, color and meaning. Just my love of color expressing itself in the work. |
3-D color
2004 acrylic on canvas and printed impasto 9 2X 72 |
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4th street view
2009 digital photography 22 megabytes |
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Trying to document the urban decay of a small Texas town that Scott Joplin and Ross Perot come from. It was a North, south and East West railroad crossing. Al Capone called it "Little Chicago. It supplied much of his liquor. |
Gusher
20079 digital photography 22 megs |
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Watching the infrastructure literally crumble from beneath my feet. It's not hard to believe this town was "Rat Capital of America" for nearly twenty years. Part of my "MEN WORKING" series |
They Bleed
2008 digital photography 20 megabytes |
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an observation on the federal reserves manipulation of monetary policy. |
morning light
2009 Photography variable |
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early morning, walking the dog. |
Ace of Clubs
2009 Digital Photography variable (28 megabyte file) |
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this is the work accepted into the TRACH 5 states, regional Juried Show. |
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| Education and biography |
Apprenticeship with painter Jim Yale. 1975-'76
Apprenticed with 5 women artisans at calabash Pottery and Clayworks. 1976-'77 (18 month CETA Grant)
Apprenticed with sculptor Frank Williams. 1977-'79 (18 month CETA Grant)
University of Arkansas' School of Fine Arts, Fayetteville. 1984-'86
Finished BFA in photography WITH hONORS at:
University of South Florida, Tampa. 1986-'88
Studied Alternate photographic processes at the new school for the Visual Arts, Tampa, with artist Jack Breit, 1988.
Color Xerography published in "Modern Photography" magazine
Began Work at University of South Florida's Graphicstudio, center for research in the
Worked silkscreen department at ken tyler graphics.
Managed Studio Heinricci, a fine art print shop in Manhattan,
Survived Traumatic Brain Injury in 1192.
Began study at Fashion Institute of Technology studying the use of computers and the application to digital photography in art and pre-press.
continued studied in computers application in manipulation of photographic images with artist Lawrence Gartel at Pratt Manhattan.
My designs were been bought by a Japanese clothing company and sold in Tokyo. The gift stores at the MOMA, Whitney, Fashion Institute for Technology and other museums also carried . This earned me a write up in the style section of the New York Times.
Also, while living in Manhattan, I was the artist in residence at several restaurants, Banks and bars. As soon as I had a new body of work finished, it would be installed in the Bendex Diner on first ave at 10th st. and I would move the present show to one of the other venues I was currently showed at.
I recently won second place in a 5 state show at the Texarkana Arts and Humanities Council. |
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| Future shows |
My next show is the 5 State Juried show at TRACH, the Texarkana Arts And Humanities Council. Sat. is awards ceremony. I will update then.
Saatchi on-line until the Jump Jam and Jive festival at the local arts council this spring. |
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Website: www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/yourgallery/profile/index.php |
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