RICHARD ROSENBAUM
Visual Artist | Hudson Valley, NY
rich@redhydrant.com | contact@richardrosenbaumartist.com | www.eyemakesart.com
Instagram: @rosenbaumartist2025
Visual Artist | Hudson Valley, NY
rich@redhydrant.com | contact@richardrosenbaumartist.com | www.eyemakesart.com
Instagram: @rosenbaumartist2025
THE NARRATIVE & PRACTICE
From the Met to 14th Street: High Art Meets Real Life
Richard Rosenbaum’s visual vocabulary was shaped by two starkly different worlds. While he grew up wandering the galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, his path was never a passive silver spoon. Putting himself through The Hotchkiss School (where he met lifelong collaborator Colin de Land), School of Visual Arts, and Brown University took nine years—punctuated by long stretches of hard labor. He drove NYC yellow cabs, sold auto parts, and hauled beef on 14th Street back when the Meatpacking District felt less like a luxury shopping center and more like a raw, blood-soaked Chaim Soutine painting. That collision between classical beauty and street-level grit defines his aesthetic rigor today.
Richard Rosenbaum’s visual vocabulary was shaped by two starkly different worlds. While he grew up wandering the galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, his path was never a passive silver spoon. Putting himself through The Hotchkiss School (where he met lifelong collaborator Colin de Land), School of Visual Arts, and Brown University took nine years—punctuated by long stretches of hard labor. He drove NYC yellow cabs, sold auto parts, and hauled beef on 14th Street back when the Meatpacking District felt less like a luxury shopping center and more like a raw, blood-soaked Chaim Soutine painting. That collision between classical beauty and street-level grit defines his aesthetic rigor today.
The Hudson Valley & The Luminist State
Relocating to the Hudson Valley brought Rosenbaum face-to-face with the atmosphere that inspired the Hudson River School painters. Rather than rendering traditional landscapes, he uses modern digital screens and backlit displays to continue their exploration of light, treating the valley’s atmosphere as a gateway into a luminous state of mind.
Relocating to the Hudson Valley brought Rosenbaum face-to-face with the atmosphere that inspired the Hudson River School painters. Rather than rendering traditional landscapes, he uses modern digital screens and backlit displays to continue their exploration of light, treating the valley’s atmosphere as a gateway into a luminous state of mind.
Red Hydrant LLC & The Concentric Reliquary
Operating as Red Hydrant LLC, Rosenbaum views his studio archive as a Private Concentric Reliquary—a layered sanctuary where each medium acts as a protective circle around core truths. Memory, 4D geometry, cetacean intelligence, plant sentience, and urban history collapse into what he calls inner "Planetarium star stories."
Operating as Red Hydrant LLC, Rosenbaum views his studio archive as a Private Concentric Reliquary—a layered sanctuary where each medium acts as a protective circle around core truths. Memory, 4D geometry, cetacean intelligence, plant sentience, and urban history collapse into what he calls inner "Planetarium star stories."
MANIFESTO: THE LUMINOUS RELIQUARY
Digital Animism, Provenance, and the Restored Aura
Digital Animism, Provenance, and the Restored Aura
In his 1935 essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, Walter Benjamin warned that modern technology strips artwork of its "aura"—that unique physical presence tied to ritual and sacred origin. For nearly a century, digital media has accelerated this loss, reducing art to disembodied, infinitely copiable files.
Rosenbaum’s practice operates as a direct counter-manifesto, restoring the sacred aura to digital art through two core elements:
• Digital Provenance (1-of-1 Scarcity): While digital code can be copied infinitely, smart contracts restore absolute origin. Each piece in The Guardians and Cinema Fantastique is minted as a verified 1-of-1 master token. This establishes immutable ownership and perpetual studio provenance regardless of how many screen views circulate online.
• Emitted Light & Biological Vibration: Traditional paintings rely on reflected light (light bouncing off paint). Rosenbaum’s lightboxes and custom video displays emit light directly into the viewer's eyes. Backlighting high-density digital marks stimulates retinal receptors and triggers natural, microscopic eye movements. Static digital brushstrokes appear to crawl, hum, and vibrate.
• Emitted Light & Biological Vibration: Traditional paintings rely on reflected light (light bouncing off paint). Rosenbaum’s lightboxes and custom video displays emit light directly into the viewer's eyes. Backlighting high-density digital marks stimulates retinal receptors and triggers natural, microscopic eye movements. Static digital brushstrokes appear to crawl, hum, and vibrate.
This mirrors traditional West African Dogon ritual objects (binu and kanaga), which act not as passive pictures, but as living vessels designed to radiate active energy.
ARTIST STATEMENT
"My paintings, sculptures, and time-based media represent an ongoing process of drawing with the computer that I have pioneered since 1981. These 'television paintings' and 4D composite montages take the most disposable technology of the late 20th century—the electronic screen—and turn it into a sacred, glowing reliquary. The area of the mind where memory, physical labor, and visual experience overlap are my inner Planetarium star stories."
CURRICULUM VITAE (SELECTED HISTORY)
Primary Series & Mediums
• The Guardians: Museum-grade Duratrans LED Lightbox installations (50" × 100") with verified 1-of-1 digital provenance.
• Cinema Fantastique: Eight-movement 4K single-channel video installations with custom acoustic design and 1-of-1 digital provenance.
• The Guardians: Museum-grade Duratrans LED Lightbox installations (50" × 100") with verified 1-of-1 digital provenance.
• Cinema Fantastique: Eight-movement 4K single-channel video installations with custom acoustic design and 1-of-1 digital provenance.
Process & AI Direction
In my fine art and moving-image practice, generative AI is not a shortcut—it is an expanded production studio. Drawing on 25+ years as a film editor, director, and digital painter, I direct advanced AI systems like Gemini for conceptual and visual architecture, and ElevenLabs for nuanced neural voice performance and soundscape design.
By treating these technologies as specialized crew members within a unified workflow, I sculpt synthetic imagery, real-world footage, and complex audio into singular, hyper-dimensional narratives. The AI provides the raw neural horsepower; two decades of fine-art discipline, cinematic timing, and human intent direct every frame. All still images produced are drawings and paintings derived from source , whether my photographs, drawings or AI produced images that become my storyboard sketches. images are painted or drawn on procreate and finished on photoshop. the digital file then is exported for duratrans processing.
Education & Mentorship
• School of Visual Arts (SVA), NYC: Studied under Will Insley, David Salle, and Marshall Arisman.
• Brown University (1973–1976): Semiotics & Structuralism under Robert Scholes.
• The Hotchkiss School: Early artistic foundation and collaborative roots.
• UCLA: Holography & Poetry studies.
• School of Visual Arts (SVA), NYC: Studied under Will Insley, David Salle, and Marshall Arisman.
• Brown University (1973–1976): Semiotics & Structuralism under Robert Scholes.
• The Hotchkiss School: Early artistic foundation and collaborative roots.
• UCLA: Holography & Poetry studies.
Selected Exhibitions (1983–Present)
• 2024 — A Plethora Of Plants, The Hammond Museum, curated by Marcy Freedman, North Salem, NY
• 2023 — What Remains, Visionary Art Collective, curated by Elizaveta Zhurkovskaya
• 2019 — MvVO ART Ad Art Show, The Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center, New York, NY
• 2013 — Focus on Film, Blue Door Art Center, Yonkers, NY
• 2012 — Night Landscapes, Croton Library (Curated by Sharon Kullberg), Croton, NY
• 2008 — Alien Brain (Solo Exhibition), Croton Library (Curated by Rob Shepperson), Croton, NY
• 2006 — The Square Foot Show, Art Gotham (Organized by Kimberly Salib), New York, NY
• 2001 — Solo Exhibition, Croton Library (Curated by Lael Morgan), Croton, NY
• 1995 — Fantasy and Form, Rye Arts Center (Curated by Rosemary Erpf / Westchester Arts Council), Rye, NY
• 1989 — Alternative "Day of the Dead", Curated by Gino Rodriguez, New York, NY
• 1986 — Hamletmachine (Dir. Robert Wilson), NYU Tisch School of the Arts — Producer/Director/Designer of Act 3 Video Segment
• 1986 — Calamity of the Skin (Video Presentation), Millennium Film Workshop, New York, NY
• 1986 — Black Velvet (Solo Exhibition), J. Walter Thompson Art Gallery (Curated by Paul Stimpson), New York, NY
• 1985 — Summer Show, Freidus Ordover Gallery, New York, NY
• 1984 — If Culture Means Anything, Vox Populi Gallery (Curated by Colin de Land), New York, NY
• 1983 — Found Objects, Marisa del Re Gallery (Curated by Berta Walker), New York, NY
• 2024 — A Plethora Of Plants, The Hammond Museum, curated by Marcy Freedman, North Salem, NY
• 2023 — What Remains, Visionary Art Collective, curated by Elizaveta Zhurkovskaya
• 2019 — MvVO ART Ad Art Show, The Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center, New York, NY
• 2013 — Focus on Film, Blue Door Art Center, Yonkers, NY
• 2012 — Night Landscapes, Croton Library (Curated by Sharon Kullberg), Croton, NY
• 2008 — Alien Brain (Solo Exhibition), Croton Library (Curated by Rob Shepperson), Croton, NY
• 2006 — The Square Foot Show, Art Gotham (Organized by Kimberly Salib), New York, NY
• 2001 — Solo Exhibition, Croton Library (Curated by Lael Morgan), Croton, NY
• 1995 — Fantasy and Form, Rye Arts Center (Curated by Rosemary Erpf / Westchester Arts Council), Rye, NY
• 1989 — Alternative "Day of the Dead", Curated by Gino Rodriguez, New York, NY
• 1986 — Hamletmachine (Dir. Robert Wilson), NYU Tisch School of the Arts — Producer/Director/Designer of Act 3 Video Segment
• 1986 — Calamity of the Skin (Video Presentation), Millennium Film Workshop, New York, NY
• 1986 — Black Velvet (Solo Exhibition), J. Walter Thompson Art Gallery (Curated by Paul Stimpson), New York, NY
• 1985 — Summer Show, Freidus Ordover Gallery, New York, NY
• 1984 — If Culture Means Anything, Vox Populi Gallery (Curated by Colin de Land), New York, NY
• 1983 — Found Objects, Marisa del Re Gallery (Curated by Berta Walker), New York, NY
Performance Art & Collective (E.Y.E. Co-Founder, 2003–2017)
• 2016 — Pelham Art Center Studio Café: Arts & Craft Beer Fest
• 2015 — Performance Art on the Farm, Saunders Farm (Curated by Marcy B. Freedman), Garrison, NY
• 2015 — Impulsive Behavior, Talking Arts Foundation
• 2011 & 2010 — Performance & Live Installation, Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY
• 2008 — Live Mural Performance, ABC No Rio, New York, NY
• 2008 — Amana Refrigerator Project, New Museum, New York, NY
• 2008 — Live Collaborative Art Performance, Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville, NY
• 2008 — Paramount Center for the Arts, Peekskill, NY
• 2005 — Peekskill Mural Project & BAU (Beacon Artists Union), Beacon, NY
• 2016 — Pelham Art Center Studio Café: Arts & Craft Beer Fest
• 2015 — Performance Art on the Farm, Saunders Farm (Curated by Marcy B. Freedman), Garrison, NY
• 2015 — Impulsive Behavior, Talking Arts Foundation
• 2011 & 2010 — Performance & Live Installation, Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY
• 2008 — Live Mural Performance, ABC No Rio, New York, NY
• 2008 — Amana Refrigerator Project, New Museum, New York, NY
• 2008 — Live Collaborative Art Performance, Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville, NY
• 2008 — Paramount Center for the Arts, Peekskill, NY
• 2005 — Peekskill Mural Project & BAU (Beacon Artists Union), Beacon, NY
Selected Press Coverage
• The New York Times (Aug 14, 2010) — On Katonah Museum performance: "EYE on You! ... construct a composite image of each model."
• The New York Times (June 20, 2004) — On Pelham Art Center: "Fun, chaos, confusion and beauty in no particular order… new meaning to the words art show."
• The New York Times (Aug 22, 2004) — On Sycamore Gallery: "They had a real synergy going... Expressive nature of the images."
• The Gazette (Jan 10, 2008) — On Jacob Burns Film Center live performance.
• The Journal News (Nov 26, 2006) — On Brook Street Gallery collaborative mural event.
• Westchester County Times (July 2003) — On Westchester Arts Council live drawing performance.
• The New York Times (Aug 14, 2010) — On Katonah Museum performance: "EYE on You! ... construct a composite image of each model."
• The New York Times (June 20, 2004) — On Pelham Art Center: "Fun, chaos, confusion and beauty in no particular order… new meaning to the words art show."
• The New York Times (Aug 22, 2004) — On Sycamore Gallery: "They had a real synergy going... Expressive nature of the images."
• The Gazette (Jan 10, 2008) — On Jacob Burns Film Center live performance.
• The Journal News (Nov 26, 2006) — On Brook Street Gallery collaborative mural event.
• Westchester County Times (July 2003) — On Westchester Arts Council live drawing performance.
ACQUISITION & COMMISSION PROVENANCE
All digital masterworks across The Guardians and Cinema Fantastique are issued with verified 1-of-1 digital provenance on the Ethereum blockchain.
• Physical Fabrications: Physical realizations—including custom Duratrans LED lightboxes (50" × 100") and bespoke screen housings—are executed on commission for token holders following client specification.
• Inquiries & Studio Contact: For acquisition details, commissioning physical hardware, or gallery proposals, email rich@redhydrant.com or contact@richardrosenbaumartist.com.
• Inquiries & Studio Contact: For acquisition details, commissioning physical hardware, or gallery proposals, email rich@redhydrant.com or contact@richardrosenbaumartist.com.
