About the Artist

Born in 1963 into a military family, Richard J. Hinger spent part of his childhood moving around from Pennsylvania to Virginia to Panama and Maine. At the age of 17 Richard moved to Norfolk, Virginia, living there to finish high school. There he spent some treasured time with Christine Morrissey, who would become his wife some 20 years later.
After a series of unsatisfying jobs and relationships, he decided to head to California to live near his brother and start a new life. From having been on his own for the last four years Richard developed sensibilities and artistic visions that came to the surface after arriving to Oceanside, California.
With a keen perception of people and having a lighthearted, satirical manner, he has been able to internalize the social circumstances around him and present these issues through his art. In 1986 after entering a job in which he worked with tile, Richard began experimenting with textural materials and paints. Intrigued by texture and color, he began collecting interesting discarded objects and assembling them into works of art that reflect societal views of current issues. His first works, referred to by Richard as “Post Apocalyptic Visions” represent fossils from the future which tell the story of our wasteful and destructive nature as humans.
After receiving media attention and shows for this work, he was prompted to research his place as a self taught, found-object artist. During the next twenty years Richard fine tuned his unique style, widening his audience and message. His ability to take the sights, attitudes, and obsessions of a community and reflect this in sculpture, which then becomes part of a thematic series, has kept his work fresh and anticipated.
Richard has shared his passion for expression and creativity by teaching art classes in schools and founding ESI Public Arts, a non/profit public arts program for artist’s and at risk youth , giving them an opportunity which he felt he did not have growing up. His programs with children have produced much public art that can be seen throughout San Diego and soon to South Florida. He is recently married to his high school sweetheart Christine, and now resides in North Port, Florida, with daughters Charlotte and Sofia.

Atelier of Assemblage 2009