John Raimondi

John Raimondi (born 1948) is a sculptor and creator of public sculpture on a monumental scale, with works in twenty-seven states and several European countries.

Overview

Intending to become a seascape painter, Raimondi first attended the "Portland School of Fine and Applied Arts" in Maine. There he met teacher and sculptor Norman Therrien who encouraged Raimondi to try sculpture [ [http://www.askart.com/askart/r/john_raimondi/john_raimondi.aspx "Ask/Art" website] ] . Next Raimondi attended the Massachusetts College of Art where he studied sculpture. Since 1970 he has been creating sculptures [ [http://www.harmonmeekgallery.com/artists/Raimondi.html "Harmon-Meek Gallery" website] this gallery in Naples, FL first showed Raimondi's work in 1994] . He currently resides in New York City, NY and winters in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, where he has maintained a home since 1987.

His early works were exhibited at Boston City Hall and Bridgewater State College, along with numerous local galleries and museums. This, in turn, led to Raimondi's first prominent commission, which was awarded to him in a national competition conducted by the Nebraska I-80 Bicentennial Sculpture Project. The sculpture he created was entitled "Erma's Desire" [ [http://www.sheldonartgallery.org/education/I-80/raimondi_j/index.html Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery] this site shows a photograph of the sculpture and quote from Raimondi] .

"Erma's Desire" is named for the artist's mother and her intense desire for the happiness of her children. Located in Grand Island, Nebraska, the work was considered controversial due to its suggestive title and abstract form, and was debated fiercely in several major publications and on the TV news program "60 Minutes", catapulting Raimondi into the national spotlight [ [http://jrsculptor.com/main.html John Raimondi, Sculptor] Artist website] . Since then, he has completed more than 75 works.

Further reading

*Corbett, William. "John Raimondi, Sculptor" (Hudson Hills Press, 1999) ISBN 1-55595-179-1

References

External links

* [http://www.sculpture.org/portfolio/sculptorPage.php?sculptor_id=1000661 "International Sculpture Center" website] artist page provides info on Museum collections, public collections, and exhibitions
* [http://www.virginiamiller.com/exhibitions/1980s/JohnRaimondi.html John Raimondi 1987 Newspaper Review] discusses a sculpture entitled "The Aquila", located in Miami, FL and described as "largest bronze sculpture in North America".