This new body of work is about strength and resilience working from nature with unnatural materials. Painting with fire. Plasma cut enameled steel is cut into thousands of shards, destroying the material’s strength. The shards are then composed as objects regaining their strength both structurally and aesthetically, while exploring the beauty of creation, destruction, and rebirth. The work is both made and unmade. Built with intention but open to interpretation.

Born in 1961 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Rick Bach is an artist who prefers to work in steel. His style has been influenced from his early days working alongside his father in an auto-body shop to graduating with a degree in commercial art from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. As a sculptor, his work ranges from architectural to figurative, including 18-feet-high Trojan horses and Bovine Mariachi’s. Since 1996, Bach has been the resident artist for the Mad Mex restaurant chain owned by the Big Burrito Group. He was commissioned by the Office of Cultural Heritage at the State Department in 2023, to create a mural for the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina.Bach currently resides in Arlington, VA, and has studios in Bladensburg, Maryland, and Pittsburgh. He is represented by Zynka Gallery in Pittsburgh, and Studio A Global in Washington, DC.

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026, my exhibition would revolve around the importance of the horse to our country incorporating materials that are quintessentially American – aluminum (Alcoa), steel (what was U.S. Steel) and fire. The horse is a symbol of strength, and I will explore deeply rooted connections between it and American industry and culture i.e.automobiles/Detroit/horsepower/identity. I will create a trio of large 9’-11’ foot high steel sculptures placed in a circle with smaller steel totems inside. Additionally, I will create steel and wood collages mounted to grids of aluminum canvases as well as smaller steel sculptures on pedestals.

An Artist Talk and Demonstration with Rick Bach

Saturday, June 27, 1 pm

Join us for our culminating event in June as we feature solo artist, Rick Bach, who will provide us with a deeper understanding of his exhibition titled CUT, which is on view through Sunday, June 8. Bach, whose primary medium is steel, will talk about his artistic process, including his use of tools, canvas, and preparatory drawings to create his artwork from conception to completion. 

Free to the public (a $10 donation is suggested)