Biography

RICHARD BUNKALL

Richard Bunkall was born in Pasadena in 1953. Although a California native, he began sketching from a perch on the sixtieth floor of a New York high-rise. Always fascinated with the aesthetic of architectural forms, the view from this “studio” was an appropriate stage for the development of Bunkall’s intrinsic philosophies.

Much of Richard’s artistic vision stems from an appreciation of monumental structures – Stonehenge, Greek Temples, and the Empire State Building. Bunkall’s interest is not limited to a certain style or genre; rather it encompasses the realm of human ingenuity, whether it is marble or tin, stationary or mobile, hand chiseled or machine stamped. It is not only the magnitude, but also the spiritual inspiration which generated their creation, that Bunkall finds intriguing. It is in the conceptualization and execution of these colossal edifices that man materializes his need to create a more solid, enduring aspect of himself.

Through Bunkall’s use of color, proportion, and composition, his work transforms the commonplace into the serenely extraordinary. His paintings are wrought with images both Medieval and modern, often in unusual juxtaposition. From the shadows emerge contemplative figures, dwarfed beneath gargantuan trains, ships, and porticos; gargoyles and angels appear as silent witnesses, gathering to preside over a world of post-industrial existence.

Through his masterful technique and poetic imagination, Bunkall transports us to a world where realism takes on a dreamlike aspect… casting a spell of majesty and mystery upon man’s creations, and an awareness of the spirit contained therein.