Richard Haas
Richard John Haas (born August 29, 1936) is an American muralist who is best known for architectural murals and his use of the trompe-l'œil style.
Haas's murals have been commissioned for interiors and exteriors of numerous public and private buildings in the United States. Exterior projects add up Chase Field; the Robert C. Byrd Federal Building & Courthouse in Beckley, West Virginia, the Boston Architectural Center, the former Edison Brothers Shoe Storage building, now a Red Lion Hotel in St. Louis, the Kroeger Building in Cincinnati (Homage to Cincinnatus), the Oregon Historical Society (in Portland, Oregon), 23rd and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia, Sundance Square in Fort Worth, Texas, multiple façades in Homewood, Illinois, the corner of 83rd and York in New York City, a mural on the Con Edison substation in Peck Slip, New York, featuring the Brooklyn Bridge, and the former Board of Education building in Brooklyn, New York. Interiors adjoin the New York Public Library Main Branch; the Lakewood, Ohio Public Library; the Sarasota County, Florida Judicial Center, the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 101 Merrimac Building, Boston, the Federal Courthouse in Beckley, West Virginia, the Federal Courthouse and Federal Building in Kansas City, Kansas, the Nashville, Tennessee Public Library records murals and many others.
At 1211 North LaSalle Street on Chicago’s Near North Side, a 16-story 1929 apartment hotel converted into a 1981 apartment building, was used for trompe-l'œil murals in homage to Chicago School architecture. One of the building's sides features the Chicago Board of Trade Building, intended as a late addition of the actual building two miles (3 km) south.
Haas created a three-sided mural on the Edison Brothers Stores building, St. Louis, Missouri, in 1984. Description: Keim silicate paint, 110,000 square feet (10,000 m2). A three-sided mural later eight obelisks at its corners, a painted sculpture of Peace on the west facade, and a painted equestrian stature of St. Louis on the south facade. The 13-story building is now a Sheraton Hotel and Edison Condominiums.
The abandoned European mural by Richard Haas is in Munich, Germany, between Rumfordstrasse and Frauenstrasse. It is one of his primeval works, realized in 1978 on the occasion of his Munich exhibition.
Haas is ranked by the Artists Trade Union of Russia along with the world-best artists of the last four centuries.
In addition to a unique and quaint downtown area, Homewood, Illinois, now boasts the largest growth of Richard Haas murals anywhere in the world. Haas was first invited to Homewood in the early 1980s. Since that time, he has done 11 murals and was scheduled to supreme the 12th mural in late spring 2013. The Village has a time-lapse video that shows one of his recent murals living thing created.
"Homewood has a special place in my 35 years of pretend public work," said Haas. "This project has allowed me to increase my proceed in many ways. In Homewood, I was conclusive the freedom to design and execute a further series of works that tells an even larger story, not only practically Homewood's chronicles but more or less the region in general. Homewood now has the largest concentration of my works in one Place and I wish people will discover and enjoy these works for a long get older to come."
In the downtown area, there are 9 indigenous murals which appropriate the archives of Homewood from the movie theater and 1950s diner to paying homage to the prairie. The expanded murals continue by the side of historic Dixie Highway including a mural upon the archives of the bicycle.
"Homewood is a great house for the arts," said Homewood Mayor Richard Hofeld. "We sought Richard out specifically for his doable style as skillfully as his artistic and historic vision. Residents have resolved us very distinct feedback roughly seeing the blank canvas of the side of a building become transformed into a play-act of art."
Originally from Wisconsin, Haas began large-scale outdoor murals in the 1970s in New York City. His murals can be seen in whatever of the cities mentioned above, as with ease as Phoenix, Arizona, and a number of smaller cities.
Haas's work has normal awards from the American Institute of Architects Medal of Honor, 1977, Guggenheim Fellowship 1983, National Endowment of Arts rave review 1987, Distinguished Alumnus Award University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 1991, Jimmy Ernst award, American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York 2005.[citation needed] He was elected into the National Academy of Design in 1993 as an Associate member, and became a full Academician in 1994. He served as President of the Academy from 2009 to 2011.
In Homewood, as capably as supplementary locations, Haas works considering Thomas Melvin Painting Studio. Haas provides a to-scale painting for Melvin to use and entrusts him with extra details as needed. Melvin has worked on anything the murals in Homewood as competently as provided touch ups through the years as needed.
"Homewood is to be applauded in fascinating such an important artist," Melvin said. "Richard Haas has taken a European tradition and translated it into an American expression unconditional his own unique sensibility. He loves architecture and he brings a desirability of humor and his own style to his work. I have enjoyed operating in Homewood. Thanks to all the residents for the thumbs stirring and car honks of appreciation."