Art Exhibitions and
Studio Projects
Works and themes from the following exhibitions are available for museums and exhibition spaces. For more information, contact Rudd Studio.
 
Dark Ride Project
"A Future for Art!" The most unusual art exhibition in the world. Take an actual ride in the "Sensory Integrator" through creative space. Introcave, "A Future for Art" with Walter Hopps, Gateway Station, "Sensory Integrator" ride, Space Sculpture Garden, Purity Vacuum, Artifacts Gallery.  First opened to the public in 1996, the components of the Dark Ride Project can be installed in any museum space.  For contact information: Contact Rudd Studio, 189 Beaver Street, North Adams, MA 01247 Tel. 800.689.0978  more info...
 
A Chapel for Humanity
82 Summer Street, Post Office Square, North Adams
 
In a historic church, artist Eric Rudd’s massive sculptural epic has been created for both an art experience and private meditation.
 
Over 150 life-size figures, 250 low-relief ceiling figures plus Sept. 11 memorial.
 
Near MASS MoCA/Main Street. Summer: Wed-Sun 12-5 PM. Fall: Sat & Sun 12-5 PM. Contact Rudd Studio Tel. 800.689.0978

 

 “TOP SECRET”  Art in Outer-Space
Leonardo da Vinci designed flying machines.  In the 500 years since da Vinci’s time, artists have involved themselves with the sky and space. With the beginning of the space age, artists around the world have dreamed of putting art into space.
 
An artwork rocketed into outer space is exhibited in the ultimate “public space gallery,” even if the only way the public will “see” the artwork is through video transmissions to earth.  The location inspires thoughts of peaceful international endeavors bringing into focus the positive aspects of man’s technological advances.
 
Most art-in-space proposals are too expensive to ever become reality; this one almost happened.  In 1996, artist Eric Rudd teamed up with a private satellite company and worked with them through 1998, until international and economic events curtailed the project.   
 
Elements of “Top Secret” were exhibited at “Sky Art,” Contemporary Artists Center, 1996 and at Blue Space, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in January, 2005; for museum exhibition, contact: Contact Eric Rudd, 189 Beaver Street, North Adams, MA 01247
Tel. 800.689.0978
 
Plastic: Blow-molded polycarbonate (Lexan ™) sculptures – Exhibition contact.
In 1987, Rudd uniquely developed in cooperation with G.E. Plastics, the first blow-molded, clear Lexan sculptures ever made.  Rudd has continued to blow-mold polycarbonate sculptures in a variety of ways, either clear or using color pigments.  These monumental sculptures incorporate many of the traditional characteristics of glass blowing, but with a complexity and scale not possible with glass.  Because of the durability of Lexan, they are practically unbreakable, but have a beauty and internal glow of giant-sized diamonds.  These sculptures have only been publicly shown in the Dark Ride Project 1996 space and in Tokyo, Japan, 1994.  Contact Rudd Studio Tel. 800.689.0978
 
Night Garden of the Hesperides 
(www.RoboticArts.com)
A large-scale art installation involving autonomous robotic sculptures, moving about a landscape environment, attempting to carry out each creature’s goals.  The story line is futuristic, while based on Greek mythology.  In a far future where humankind has left the dying planet to be staffed only by robotic biomorphic creatures, the large (18 foot high) Ladon attempts to protect huge egg/pods while predator creatures seek to devour them.  Based on the Greek mythological creature, Ladon, who is brought in by Zeus to guard the golden apples growing in the garden of the Hesperides sisters, will be joined by a cast of predator and protector creatures; our version will be a cross from Rudd’s imagination, Jurassic Park and Star Wars – all rolled into one.  This work took four years to build, establishing the first (university level) robotic arts program in the nation; it was built within the physics’ department of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (Dr. William Seeley, Chair), North Adams, MA.
For exhibition in large museum spaces beginning Fall, 2007, Contact Rudd Studio Tel. 800.689.0978
 
Drawings:
Exhibition in the Flatiron Art Space
Figure drawings, executed in ink, acrylic, pencil and other mediums, show the fast and gesture style of the artist.  On view are several framed drawings on paper as well as a few on canvas. 
Located on in the historic Flatiron, on Gallery Row, 40-44 Eagle Street, North Adams (at the point near Rt. 2);  Framed drawings are offered for sale or for other exhibition/gallery spaces. Contact Rudd Studio Tel. 800.689.0978
 
Archives:
Works from 1965 to present Eric Rudd’s career spans more than four decades; works from various periods are available through archival search or by contact to Rudd Studio.  Museums that have works in their collections can get additional bibliographical information as well as digital images of related works.  Contact Rudd Studio Tel. 800.689.0978 for additional information.
 
Some Examples:

 

Black and White
Abstract Expressionist Paintings
1964-68; powerful early works.

 

Shaped paintings
1967; bars of color on shaped paintings, with some paintings leaving the wall and being part sculpture.

 

Large painted sculptures
1967; plywood constructions painted in several colors; large minimal shapes.

 

Paintings in Landscape, Moonscape 1968; Sculptures painted in perspective and set in a variety of landscape. 

 

Dormer Series: 1969  Shaped paintings with perspective,  illusion of sculptures popping into space.

 

Grid Series
1970-72  Large canvases of layers of grids in perspective; most done with a textural vinyl chip.  Several of these works (3 to 22 feet wide) are in museum collections.

 

Plank Series
1772-73  Large relief constructions of planks done in perspective, but also having actual depth from wall.  Done with acrylic, urethanes and vinyl chips.

 

Drawing
Drawings, various years including, figurative, Apple series, and the Spanish Class series.

 

Foam Relief Series:  1974-75 Rigid, spray-in-place polyurethane foam coated with acrylic and various enamels. 

 

Polyurethane Foam Sculptures
1975- Large biomorphic sculptures with colored surfaces.  Various size, but up to 30 feet wide.  Some within metal cages, hanging, glass columns, and with other mediums. Some are large, outdoor and are impressive in any exterior space.  Many are “space objects,” made before the ‘Star Wars’ phenomenon, and reminiscent of relics from outer-space exploration.

 

Tile Paintings
low relief with multiple painting layers; when assembled, they are subtly shifting as the viewer moves even a little.  Small (2x2 feet) to 12-35 feet wide.  Like satellite topographical maps, but digitized in a beautiful organic way.
 
Ontogen series
1976-94  Organic shaped painted paper shapes over polyurethane,; free, within frames, and three dimensional. 
 
Ontogen Glass Series
An elegant series of glass and opaque columns with foam shapes floating in and through the structures.
 
Large Ontogen series
1980-82  Large shapes attached to metal frames, relief and sculpture.  Many are 6.5 feet square, with a depth of 2 about feet. The largest work, ‘Pavilion’ is 20x20x20 feet.
 
Figures in front of Relief Constructions
1984-85; large figures in front of expressionistic relief construction of biomorphic shapes.
 
Cubed Sculptures
1985  Figures and Spheres, made from hundreds of cubed shapes.
 
Large figurative constructions
1987-95 deep relief and sculptures; life-sized or larger polyurethane foam figures.
 
Blow-molded polycarbonate (Lexan ™) sculptures,  1987-1994, clear and translucent, some with color.  Also, “String” Lexan sculptures, made of continuous sculptural drawing.
 
Works related to the large installations – Dark Ride Project, Art in Outer Space,  Night Garden of the Hesperides,  etc.
 
Robotic Sculptures
1996- Adding movement to large sculptures, the largest is almost 11 feet high; it’s programmed movement mesmerizes viewers.
 
American Artists
Historical Marker Series
1992; a work designed for Washington DC, where historical markers about the artist are placed around the city (as parody on the nation’s historical markers of selected ‘famous’ people).  It has not been installed as of this date.
 
Eric Rudd for Mayor
1997  Artifacts and videos how an artist joined the political system; an example for others.
 
Works on Stones
1990 - Quietly done and photographed, the artist drew on stones all over the world and left them in place – on desserts, beaches, etc.
 
International Travel Works
Unrealized sculptures and installations: works designed for specific countries after traveling there; include Denmark, Peru, Vietnam, Thailand, Morocco, Cambodia, Mexico, Turkey, etc.  In addition, the artist works with processes and materials commonly used in various countries, for exhibition in those countries.  Representatives from embassies and foreign museums – please contact Rudd Studios for more information.
 
 

 

click to enlarge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

click to enlarge