Richard Edmund Prince

Prince, Richard Edmund
Richard Edmund Prince, sculptor (b at Comox, BC 6 Apr 1949). Prince has been making sculpture since his studies at the University of British Columbia (BA 1971). He has developed a provocative and poetic style that intentionally forces the viewer's participation either physically or visually in a complex narrative sequence. His early work centered on the depiction of ephemeral natural forces, such as gravity or the wind, that have been largely ignored in Western Art. These works - often in the form of well-executed models or miniature dioramas encased in a box - create, with a touch of humour, discrete environments that imply levels of meaning.

Later works have dealt with the broader theme of human curiosity and the power of metaphor. These have ranged from assemblages including human forms, often cast from life, to kinetic works based on architectural, mechanical and scientific sources. Solo exhibitions have been held at the Hamilton Art Gallery (1984), the Charles H. Scott Gallery, Vancouver (1985), the Canadian Cultural Centre in Rome, Italy (1987), the 49th Parallel Gallery, New York (1989) and the Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon (1996). His work has also been included in many national and international exhibitions and is included in the collections of many Canadian public galleries and museums.

Author KATHLEEN LAVERTY