Robert Wilhelm

In my fine art I am basically inspired by my surroundings and fundamentally, I believe the driving force behind my work lies in my examination of man’s relationship with nature. It is not a separate entity for humankind to control. We have a moral responsibility to live in harmony and respect the natural world. My work strives to help people recognize the artistic value inherent in ordinary objects typically associated only with a functional purpose. By experimenting with form, pattern, and surface manipulation, I hope to surprise people with a sophisticated yet playful approach to making everyday functional objects: bowls, vases, peppermills, etc. Inspired by organic shapes found in nature, the basic structure of my designs is either turned on a lathe, cast (if in metal), hand-shaped or constructed. I make use of dyes, paints, burning, and carving to add complexity to the designs, all of which induce the kind of visual excitement that tempts people to touch the work. A primary goal of my work has always been to force people to reevaluate their assumptions about the intrinsic artistic value of commonplace items.