rilke Wortzel

3rd Generation Bauhaus Taught Artist

Rilke Wortzel (1967- ), a jewish Texan residence was born and raised in New Jersey, a small drive outside of Manhattan, New York. By his teenage years he would travel to the Museum of Modern Art in lieu of school where he became enamored with abstract artist, Susan Rothenberg. In 1992 Wortzel graduates from Bradford College, in Haverhill, Massachusetts, with a degree in writing. It was at Bradford College however, upon meeting and tutelage under the schools ceramic professor Marvin Sweet, that became a critical cog in the forming of Brian as an artist. Upon Graduating in 1992, Wortzel was sent to study under clay master, abstract ceramic sculpture and school head, Richard Hirsch, at The School For American Crafts, Rochester Institute Of Technology (RIT), Rochester New York. Marvin Sweet had studied under Hirsch at the School in the 1970s; and Wortzel's training under Hirsch (who studied under original Bauhaus student Frans Wildenhain) created a generational lineage of learning that has its origin in Bauhaus. Time in Rochester included working for renowned master furniture wood craftsman, Wendell Castle (1932-2018) and his wife sculptor artist Nancy Jurs; and meeting American glass artist, Dale Chihuly; artist of family ceramics Ohi ware, Toshio Ohi Chozaemon Xi; painting tutelage under Edward Bear Miller; and an immersion into formal visual language through the tough and unflinching hand of Hirsch.

Wortzel leaves RIT SAC and in 1995 Wortzel’s activities included design and fabrication of steel sculpture referencing Origami; a period of ceramic studio practice; and during these seven years the artist fully immersed himself in the scholarly and archival work of a twentieth century design/generalist expert and dealer collector of objects; with a focus on paintings and fine art.

2006 moves to Australian and continued his dealer/scholarly work; and in 2009, he acquired and sold to the Australian National Library, the country's second oldest lithograph; Bungaree, 1830.

While he did shows at Westpac Bank, Sydney, and sold occasional works, he was unable to fully actualize his visual voice. In 2015, the artist returned to America, and called San Antonio, Texas home. He continued his rigorous practices as artist and curator/dealer. The work became maturated in form and content around 2021, with the re-emergence of his signature floating figure.

“We are one and of magic and incomprehensible and sacred beauty in abstract form. I speak of the interconnectedness of all of us, and all things. We are of special magic, we are one.”
— Rilke Wortzel (1967- )

TIMELINE

  • 1967 Born East Orange, New Jersey and raised in the Suburbs of Westfield, New Jersey

  • 1989-1992 Attends Bradford College; meets and studies under clay artist Marvin Sweet

  • 1992-1995 Attends The School For American Crafts, Rochester Institute Of Technology, Rochester NY, working for renowned master furniture wood craftsman, Wendell Castle (1932-2018) and his wife sculptor artist Nancy Jurs; and meeting American glass artist, Dale Chihuly; artist of family ceramics Ohi ware, Toshio Ohi Chozaemon Xi; painting tutelage under Edward Bear Miller; and an immersion into formal visual language through the tough and unflinching hand of school head, renowned American abstract ceramic sculpture, Richard Hirsch.

  • 1996  Hamden, Massachusetts, lives and works with ceramics and antique/art trading 

  • 2005  Meets and marries Australian artist and educator Lilly Blue and the two have a daughter. Shows and sells works at Wespac Bank, Australia. 

  • 2015-Current  Returns to American and lives and works as an artist and dealer/consultant on fine and generalist objects of value.

RILKE WORTZEL BAUHAUS LINEAGE

3rd Generation Bauhaus Student

Frans Wildenhain (1905-1980)

  • 1924 Trained at the Bauhaus in Wimer, Germany

  • 1950 Began Teaching at The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) School for American Crafts and trained nenowed artist Richard Hirsch and Martin Sweet

Richard Hirsch (1944- )

  • 1956 MFA at The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) under Wildenhain

  • 1984 Professorship at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and currently hold the title of professor emeritus College of Art and Design

Rilke Wortzel (1967- )

  • 1992 - Graduates from Bradford College in literature studies and takes an art class from Marvin Sweet (also studies under Richard Hirsch) who encourages him to attend R Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

  • 1992- Attends Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) under Richard Hirsch; works with renowned artists Wendall Castle and Nancy Jurs; and painting tutelage under Edward Bear Miller, to name a few. 

WHAT’S IN THE NAME?

Rilke Wortzel took the name Rilke after his favorite German poet and novelist, Ranier Maria Rilke. Ranier Rilke works are viewed by critics and scholars as possessing tones of mysticism, exploring subjective experiences and disbelief. In pieces of Wortzel’s work there is a bit of mysticism in his early works in the Floating Series. Additionally Wortzel draws a parallelism with his works and in Ranier’s “Book of Hours,” a cycle of poems, which explores the Christian search for God and nature of prayer. Wortzel includes symbolic forms of God and prayer throughout his works.