Veteran Sculptor Rolf Kriken's Latest Work

Rolf Kriken, the acclaimed California sculptor who served in the U.S. Army from 1962-65, is best known creating all of the bronze sculptures at the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Sacramento, such as the ones picture above.  Kriken, who runs Nordhammer Art Foundry in Kelseyville, California, also has done a series of other veterans’ and other memorial bronzes, including those for the Yuba City, California, Policeman’s Memorial; for the All Wars Memorial in Danville, California; the B.T. Collins Memorial in Sacramento; the Cleveland All Veterans Memorial in Ohio; and most recently, for the Veterans War Memorial in Madras, Oregon.

Kriken’s latest gallery show came last fall at the Mendocino College Gallery. The show, called “Voices from the Other Side, ” was a collection of his distinctive bronzes with military themes. “These pieces are a statement about raising awareness of the consequences of war, ” Kriken said. They include his “Baby Blue” series featuring the images of women. “Women give life, ” Kriken said. “The color blue represents the male; hence the title, ‘Baby Blue.'”

 

Kriken “is an honest voice for many soldiers who have been so broken by their experiences that many of them cannot communicate their ordeals to others, ” Mimi Both, a sculpture student who toured the exhibit, said.  “He respectifully honors the sacrifices they have made and empathizes with them. Whether the viewer is an antiwar activist or one who glorifies war, I believe that Kriken his skillfully bridges the gap so that this merging of respectful honesty can be highly appreciated by most individuals. “

For more info on Rolf Kriken’s work, go to his website , email him at nordhammer@mchsi.com, or call 707-489-0067.

 

 

 

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