French artist Richard Orlinski was born in Paris in 1966. Sculpting since 2004, he has surrounded himself with a team of highly skilled technicians. His pieces, conceived around the concept of “Born Wild”, are testimony to essential values in a style that is decidedly contemporary but never trashy, extravagant or trendy. His works appeal to the general public, including children, who are fascinated by his iconic creations. An honored guest at Art Elysées, Art Paris, Artiferia in Bologna, the Cannes, Deauville and Cabourg Film Festivals,… In 2010, Art Price ranked him the second bestselling contemporary artist in France and two of his pieces are among the 10 highest bids of 2011.
Richard Orlinski sculpts to enhance reality and create living works of art, both beautiful and timeless, that solicit emotion in the eye of the beholder. Deeply anchored in his era, Richard Orlinski uses mainly contemporary materials such as resin and aluminum, but also marble, stone and bronze.
The Born Wild© concept
The objective of Richard Orlinski’s Born Wild© concept is to transform vital, negative impulses into positive emotions; to go from primordial instinct to civilized emotion. The vectors for this metamorphosis are the aesthetic of the piece, the sculptor’s quest for perfection and the spectator’s perception. A supporter of art that is accessible to all, Richard Orlinski draws from the popular imagery of icons that supports his objective. He creates works of art that act on our impulses, our archaisms.
Crocodile Man and the crocodile share a reptilian brain, one of man’s three brains, a brain without memory driven by innate reflexes, the headquarters of our violent impulses. The crocodile, a species dating from the secondary era, also symbolizes adaptation and the ability to survive. Richard Orlinski spent two years working on the proportions of the Crocodile. For his first series in resin with a polished mirror finish, Orlinski uses a specific red. Following that are black, pink, blue, purple… and precious finishes: gold leaf paint, silver projection, diamond encrusting…
Letters Fascinated with Pop Art artists and New Realism, Richard Orlinski pays tribute to Robert Indiana// 3. He confronts the brute meaning of Born Wild with a mastered finish, polished and softened. The sculpture is fashioned in a folding workshop using body shop techniques employed in F1.
Panther This icon, symbolic of mystery, femininity and sensuality expresses savage power, the speed and ferocity that place it in the concept of Born Wild ©. Shaped in facets like a diamond, Richard Orlinski’s Panther has a head, which is almost four times larger than reality. Once again, all of the proportions are corrected in order to impose themselves as evident.
Skull The skull is seen not as Vanity but as an allegory for the evolution of man. The omission of the mandible testifies to the regression of man by the suppression of language. The expansion of the parietal lobe limits the frontal zone where the centers of highest thought reside. This sculpture speaks to us of the future of humanity. Progression or dehumanization?
Jaws These incredibly powerful jaws with two hyper-developed canines refer to the saber-toothed tiger4. The ferocity of this predator, undoubtedly the most formidable of all time, wasn’t enough to save it from extinction. Violence isn’t enough to ensure the survival of humanity.
David The aesthetic of Michelangelo, revisited by Richard Orlinski, invites us into a game of mirrors. David new millenium, the archetype of bodybuilding virility, clothed in unbuttoned jeans exposing D&G briefs, makes explicit reference to the victory of David over Goliath5. To win the modern combat, you must act with sensitivity and aesthetic, not brute force.
Stiletto A heel as high as the desire it solicits… This stiletto also makes an allusion to “stilet”, a small but formidable dagger that produces deep wounds. Richard Orlinski gives us a magnificent image of Woman through this object animated by fantasies. Stiletto is a sculpture that lives through its power of suggestion. A solitary heel, the Cinderella syndrome, the quest for the perfect woman.
Jean Orlinski metamorphoses this mythical garment into a monumental, sculptural aesthetic. Animated by life, symbols and fantasies, this unbuttoned pant opens onto the abyss, onto the absence of body.
Elephant A feared savage animal, the elephant is known for the violence of its charges. Domesticated, the animal evokes an image of tenderness, longevity, stability and wisdom. Its raised tusks answer to the curve of its trunk.
Cans In reference to Pop Art and Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup cans, Richard Orlinski cans savage instinct.
Homages Richard Orlinski bears witness to his admiration for the great artists of Pop Art and New Realism by producing a series of crocodiles in the style of Roy Lichtenstein, continues the dialogue and testifies to the longevity of the art.
Pinup An allegory of the Born Wild© concept, Orlinski’s Pinup is a homage to Woman, an homage to Beauty born from violence. For the tarnished, objectified woman, Richard Orlinski opposes the plastic perfection of a goddess, nudity in the tradition of the classical artists. Instead of marble he uses resin, instead of monochromatic white he uses flesh color, brown hair and blue eyes. Venus can no longer spring from a shell as with Boticelli6 or pour out from the waves under the brush stroke of Bouguereau7. The new Venus, with her modern measurements, is born out of the sharp jaws of a predator, a symbol of cruelty in the modern world.
Boxing Panther Richard Orlinski’s animals constantly raise questions about Man. Seated in a boxing robe, ironic and mysterious, Boxing Panther underscores the symbiosis between the masculine and the feminine, the savage instinct and the mastery of social codes.
Wild Kong Mouth agape bearing terrifying fangs, the resin gorilla proclaims itself invincible by beating its chest with threatening fists. Reinterpreting the mythical creature King Kong8, Richard Orlinski questions our archaic fears concerning our animalism. But this ferocious beast is capable of tenderness. So, where does the barbarism reside? In the animal itself or in the modern civilization that assassinates him at the summit of his phallic skyscraper?
Wild Kong Oil Orlinski’s King kong, more shrewd that men, throws a barrel of oil. Hailing from Skull Island9, the giant gorilla reigned over a hostile territory filled with prehistoric animals. He knows how to preserve species. Understanding the dangers of pollution, Wild Kong uses his phenomenal strength to rid the planet of this plague.
Superman What if the hero from Planet Krypton had landed in the Soviet Union insteadof the United States? With his muscled body accentuated by his tight costume, his cape set upon his shoulders and his head purposefully reduced in size, Richard Orlinski’s stone sculpture emanates the strength of Bolshevik statues. Superman holds out his arm, like Stalin showing the way forward. The American defender of the law could just have easily incarnated Communist propaganda. Richard Orlinski questions History through the confrontation of the two giants of the Cold War.
Time out Richard Orlinski denounces the acceleration of Time by sculpting a crocodile devouring an hourglass. Victimized by new technologies that follow him relentlessly, information that bombards him from one end of the planet to the other 24/7, Man of the 21st century favors the rat race over thought. Indifferent to the reptilian threat, the hourglass continues to flow unrelentingly while turning on its axis.
Jeans Totem As if suspended in mid-air, three sculptures of jeans rise up in the sky, covered in fluorescent yellow, red and blue pigment. Behind the transparent casing, the legs seem full of life, demonstrated by numerous folds. This latest work by Richard Orlinski steers away from the archetypal notion of denim to render it a floating work of art.
холодная война (Cold War)
U.S.S.R. 1970, the Cold War… On Earth, the Iron Curtain, in the sky, a MIG 2510 – an interceptor capable of hitting Mach 3. Taking his inspiration from this mythical airplane, Richard Orlinski creates a piece that expresses a form of dehumanization. Set upon a metallic stele we see a pilot’s MIG25 helmet. To breathe: an oxygen tube. To speak: a microphone. To hear: a radio. Behind the visor, the pilot’s thoughts are locked onto orders: a Soviet tribute marches to the national anthem.
Eagle Perched on a powerful claw with deadly talons, tapered wings slightly spread, the tailfeathers set for takeoff, Richard Orlinski’s eagle is taking flight. The taught lines at the base of its head emphasize the torsion of its body. Evoking power, beauty and prestige, the eagle also symbolizes cruelty and pride. Once again, the sculptor uses an animal metaphor to express the ambivalence of our instincts.
Perfect The Biker jacket is a symbol of the dangers braved by bikers that has survived many a generation. Girls began wearing them in the seventies and have never stopped. Richard Orlinski takes on this iconic jacket. Like a sorcerer’s apprentice, he creates a material that reproduces the matte finish and depth of leather, sculpting each fold to bring the piece to life. He also explores the shine. “Perfect” is therefore like a mirror reflecting the glimmers of the world.
Howling By escaping Man’s control, the wolf has managed to perpetuate irrational fears. The archetype of the animal passionate about its freedom, it howls at the moon. Richard Orlinski magnifies the nobility of the animal. Its head raised, it seems to ask the sky to reveal its quest.
Raging The wolf haunts our oldest fears and embodies our carnivorous instincts. To tame savage nature, Richard Orlinski shapes it in facets. He enlarges them at the neck and tail to accentuate the thickness of its fur. The sculptor bears witness to the ambivalence of the myth: is the wolf poised for attack or self-defense?
DJ After the Walkman of the 20th century comes the headset of the 21st. Ever larger, more technical, and always more aesthetic. By combining curves and facets, shaping them like a jewel, Richard Orlinski uses aluminum to interpret the characteristics of this technological prodigy that has become a fashion accessory.
Dragon Benevolent with a threatening air, Richard Orlinski’s dragon finds its origin in Chinese bestiary. Adorned with a crest at the top of its head, which allows it to fly, the dragon overcomes rains and winds. Ready to pounce, its body writhes like a snake. It is comprised of interlocking facets that, one after the other, harmoniously showcase its movement.
Artistic Collaborations
Caled upon by the non-profit Make a Wish Foundation11, which makes the wishes of hospitalized children come true, Richard Orlinski produced a series of crocodiles in resin destined for customization. He enlisted his favorite artists: Speedy Graphito, Hervé Di Rosa, Stéphane Cipre, Bouaz, Yang Jiechang, Annick Cuadrado… These crocodiles were auctioned with the proceeds going directly to the Foundation.
Exhibitions
2013
Courchevel, until April 26, 2013, Orlinski 1850
2012
Inception Gallery, 37 rue de Poitou, Paris (9/06 2012 - 21/07/2012)
Hôtel de Ville, Place de la république, Levallois (1/03/2012 - 25/03/2012)
Galerie de L'Escale, 25 rue de la Gare, Levallois (08/03/2012 - 14/04/2012)
Courchevel
Galerie A Leadouze, 16 av Matignon, Paris
Galerie Art Cadre, 24 rue Dauphine, Paris
Opera Gallery, London and Singapore
Galeries Bartoux, Honfleur, St Paul de Vence, Megeve, Courchevel et Cannes
2011 et 2010
Courchevel
Place Guy d'Arezzo, Bruxelles
Art Elysées, Paris
Show Off, Paris
Galerie A Leadouze, 16 av Matignon, Paris
Galerie Art Cadre, 24 rue Dauphine, Paris
Opera Gallery, London and Singapore
Galeries Bartoux, Honfleur, St Paul de Vence, Megeve, Courchevel and Cannes
Château de Pommard, Bourgogne
Galerie des Remparts, Bordeaux and Le Moulleau, Arcachon
Galerie Alain Daudet, Toulouse
Galerie Zimmermann & Heitmann, Hambourg, Düsseldorf and Dortmund
Bel Air Fine Art Genève, Forte dei Marmi, Crans Montana
Galerie des Lices, Saint Tropez
Kneipp Foundation, Luxembourg
Fouquets Barrière, Champs Elysées, Deauville, Marrakech
2009 and 2008
Galerie Pierre Cardin, Paris
AD Galerie, Beziers
Artclub Gallery, Paris
Art Elysées, Paris
Galerie Pascal Lorain, Paris
Opera Gallery, Paris
Art Partner, Paris
Art Partner, Bruxelles
Lounge Art Gallery, Bruxelles
Hôtel Metropole, Monaco
Maretti Arte Monaco, Monaco
Happy Art Gallery, Cannes
Soul Of Asia, Thaïlande
AD Galerie, Béziers
Galerie Alexis Lartigue, Paris
Galerie Chabanian, St Barth
Pulse New York
Karre d'Art, Cannes
Expo Luxembourg
Road Deauville
2007
Appia Hebert
Biennale de Venise
St'art Strasbourg
Galerie Memmi, Paris
Villa Murano, Paris
Le Regine's, Paris
Galerie Artcurial, Paris
Galerie Bel Air Fine Art, Genève
2006
La Fiac, Paris
Galeria Del sol, Miami
2005
Galerie des Lices, St Tropez
