Raymond Bock

Woodworker

A short history...
From 1976 to 1981, I studied design and photography at the Illinois Institute of Technology. I graduated with a BA in Design.
I worked in commercial photography from 1980 to 1991, first as a photographer’s assistant at Hedrich-Blessing  and second as the manager of the dye transfer printing department at a commercial photo lab.

While in the photo biz, I had been doing furniture making as a serious hobby. As digital imaging became a serious threat to my livelihood as a printer, I began to look to woodworking/furniture making as a new occupation.
In 1991, my wife and I bought an old farm outside of Viroqua .

From 1994 to 2008, I exhibited and sold work at a number of national art/craft festivals. Some of the more notable ones were the American Craft Council Baltimore and St Paul shows, the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, the St Louis Art Festival, the Milwaukee Lakefront Museum of Art Festival of Arts, the Cherry Creek Festival of Arts in Denver, and the DesMoines Festival of Arts.

I also have sold and exhibited at Grovewood Gallery in Asheville, NC, Sansar Gallery in Bethesda, MD, Langaman Gallery in Philadelphia, Citywoods in Highland Park IL, and Artisan Gallery in Paoli, WI.

From 2008 to present, I have concentrated on doing commissioned work for existing and new clients. My most current interests include making sculptural vessels. Most of the work done in this area is lathe turned; I have taken a different approach and, using a variety of tools, am creating work that is obviously not doable on a lathe.