Martin Eichinger (born 1949) is an American sculptor. Deemed one of the few 'Living Masters' by the

Art Renewal Center The Art Renewal Center (ARC) is a non-profit, educational organization, which hosts an online museum dedicated to realist art. The ARC was founded by New Jersey businessman, author, and art collector Fred Ross. Particular emphasis is given to ...

, Eichinger is known for his bronze narrative sculptures that, as he puts it, "chronicle the eternal human pursuit of meaning, happiness, and growth." Eichinger has been sculpting for over 40 years and is represented by many elite galleries across the country. He currently lives in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

and is an active and influential figure in the Northwestern sculpting community.

Biography

Martin Eichinger was born in Michigan in 1949. His father was a graphic artist, though Eichinger claims that his 7th grade teacher, Mr. Hop
James Hopfensperger
, was the person that first inspired his interest in the idea of a cultural renaissance and in art as a significant part of it. Eichinger earned an Associate Degree at

Ferris State University Ferris State University (FSU or Ferris) is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan. It was founded in 1884 and became a public institution in 1950. Ferris is the ninth-largest institutions of higher education by enroll ...

in Commercial Art and a B.S. in Advertising. He then went on to attend

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

to pursue a Master’s degree in Sculpture. He completed a year and a half of the program but never received his degree, dropping out after receiving the commission for th
Windlord
monument. Since his start as a professional sculptor, Eichinger has won many prestigious awards, including First Place in Sculpture at the International

Salon in 2007 and a C. Percival Dietsch Award, "Best Sculpture in the Round" from the

National Sculpture Society Founded in 1893, the National Sculpture Society (NSS) was the first organization of professional sculptors formed in the United States. The purpose of the organization was to promote the welfare of American sculptors, although its founding members ...

in 2003. He has also won grants from such institutions as the Kellogg Fellowship and the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

. Eichinger is also very involved in the sculpting community. He is a member of the National Sculpture Society, a founding member of the Pacific Northwest Sculpture Association, and a founder and faculty-member at Fire and Earth Art Center, located in Portland, Oregon.B-Net - Art Business New
"Martin Eichinger"
Accessed 2009-08-28

Early work

Eichinger’s professional career began with th
Windlord
Fresh out of college, he ambitiously convinced the

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...

mayor and council to commission a sculpture to commemorate the bicentennial. The sculpture is a 16-foot tall bronze abstract eagle displayed at the city’s Riverfront Park. It has remained there to this day, however, there are plans to relocate it to a more prominent location on Michigan Avenue between Lansing and East Lansing. Early in his career, Eichinger’s interest in science merged with his artistic endeavors. He began designing science displays for Lansing’s

Impression 5 Science Center The Impression 5 Science Center, is a science museum located in downtown Lansing, Michigan. Formerly known as the ''Impression 5 Museum'', the center is located in a historic wagon works factory on the Grand River. The name, ''Impression 5'', ...

, other science centers around the country and later

OMSI The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI, ) is a science and technology museum in Portland, Oregon, United States. It contains three auditoriums, including a large-screen theatre, planetarium, and exhibition halls with a variety of hands- ...

, after moving to

Bronze Sculpture

Eichinger is most known for his bronze sculpture. He defines his work as narrative sculpture: "I am a narrative artist. The language I use is form and anatomy, but what I try to sculpt is romantic, emotional, and perhaps mythic art," says Eichinger. Eichinger’s work is usually grouped into themes that explore different aspects of human life. His works are produced in series and thematically grouped: Man and Technology, Circus, Duet, Dream, Exotic Women, Goddess, Post Modern, Mythic Man, and Passage. In the Duet Series, he examines the nature of loving, committed relationships. The Passage Series deals with transcendence, the ability and strength to move beyond difficult times. The stories depicted in each of these sculptures are more than simple narratives: they contain opinions and lead to conclusions." Of his themes Eichinger says, " want sculptures to be mythological in that they speak to others who, like me, are formulating new values and are looking for a new sense of meaning in art and in life."

New and Other Work

After a long career in bronze sculpture, Eichinger has mainly retired from the medium. In 2020, he began exploring working with poured epoxy resin. He is currently working on a collection of Amorphous Polymers for his newest project
The Clair Collection
In this new collection, Eichinger still carries narrative and abstract elements like his previous sculpture work, but The Clair Collection is more in tune with his personal interests regarding scientific news and galactic imagery. Eichinger also own
The Geode
a building for artists and technological innovators. This unique space sits on Division St. in the Southeast Division/Clinton neighborhood in

. The building itself was built to resemble a Geode. From the street, you can see one of Martin Eichinger’s kinetic pieces of art, �
The Lightblade
�� a 35-foot light piece that loops changing colors and patterns that runs along the height of the building. The Geode also houses Eichinger’s studio
Eichinger Sculpture Studio
and his gallery space
Art at the Geode

Commissions

Eichinger’s recent commissions include busts of the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafik Hariri, Past Sovereign Inspector General, James (Jim) Taylor, and Current Sovereign Inspector General, Gary Kuny. Eichinger's most significant commission in recent years was th
Stations of the Cross at Cloisters on the Platte
This project included a team of sculptors who created about 90 figures averaging 7' tall. The magnitude of this commission has been compared to the Sistine Chapel. Participating sculptors included: Martin Eichinger, George Lundee

Mark Lundeen, Bets Lundeen, Lynn Kirche

Jay Warre

Anne LaRos

Joey Baine

Rob Arp

Dee Clement

and a long list of assistants.

Professional Affiliations

*Elected Fellow, National Sculpture Societ

*Founding Member Pacific Northwest Sculptor

*Member, International Sculpture Cente

*Member, Allied Artists of Americ

*Elected Living Master, Art Resource Cente

Awards and Grants

*Finalist, Art Renewal Center, 12th International ARC Salon, Sculpture - 2016 *Best in Show, Bronze, Sioux Falls SculptureWalk, Sioux Fall, SD - 2013 *Honorable Mention in Bronze, "To Love Is To Be", CityArt Walking Sculpture Tour, Mankato, MN - 2012 *Featured Artist, Best of America, Sculpture Artists Volume II - 2009-2010 *First Place, Sculpture, Art Renewal Center, International ARC Salon - 2007 *C. Percival Dietsch Award, Sculpture in the Round, National Sculpture Society - 2003 *Recipient, Grant to create interactive puppets, National Endowment for the Arts - 1982 *Kellogg Fellowship, Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA. Study of the relationship between science and art under Frank Oppenheimer - 1981

Commissions

*Cloisters on the Platte, Stations of the Cross #6 & #8, multiple monumental bronze sculptures, Sarpy County, Nebraska - 2018 *Hariri Foundation, Bust of Rafic Hariri, Former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. - 2017 *Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, Bust of Jim Taylor, SGIG Emeritus, Portland, OR - 2015 *Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, Bust of Gary Kuney, SGIG, Portland, OR - 2015 *Lisa Doell Memorial, Relief sculpture, highly publicized hit-and-run victim, Lake Oswego, OR - 1997 *Portrait bust and high-relief sculpture - Ronald Reagan, 1995, 1996 *Sculpture - 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army, 50th anniversary, 1993 *Relief sculpture - Spain ‘92 Columbus Commemorative, 1991

Museum Projects

*Consultant, "The Universe Within: An Exhibition of Ourselves", 80 hands-on science displays, Science Museum of Richmond, Richmond, VA - 1990-2000 *Exhibits Consultant, Designer & Engineer, South Carolina State Museum, Charleston, SC - 1990-2000 *Exhibits Designer, "Hands-On" Laser Gyro demonstrations, Roper Science Center, Greenville, SC - 1990-2000 *Exhibits Designer, OMSI, Portland, OR - 1984-1990 *Exhibits Designer, Consultant, Engineer, Impression 5, Lansing, MI - 1979-1984

References

# Moscovici, Claudia "Romanticism and Post Romanticism" Lexington Books (2007

# Horth, Reed "Sculpture and Ballet: A symphony of Movement" Linked In (2015

# "Local Profiles: Sculpting Out a Future" Caught in the Act, The Straz Center (2017

External links

# Martin Eichinger's Official Websit

# Cloisters on the Platte Commission - Stations of the Cros

# A Walk through the Stations of the Cros

# Art Brokerage

# Jones Terwilliger Gallerie

# Quent Cordair Fine Ar

# Cordair, Linda "From Clay to Bronze – Timeless Beauty" Luxe Beat Magazine (2014

# Mary Martin Gallery of Fine Ar

# Sculpture Collecto

# Paragon Fine Ar

# Southwest Galler

# Diva Art Grou

# WOoArt

# Finer Collectable

# Art Renewal Cente

# "Commissions keep Eichinger Studio busy

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eichinger, Martin Living people 1949 births 20th-century American sculptors Sculptors from Oregon Florida State University alumni Ferris State University alumni Michigan State University alumni