Ron Leiter

Ron Leiter

My name is Ron Leiter.  I was born in Concord, California in 1945.  The only thing unusual about my youth was that I spent a year on a Kibbutz in Israel.  I graduated UC Berkeley, taught high school, and owned and operated a landscaping business for years in Southern California.

At the same time, I have been sculpting for over 40 years.  I’m self-taught and I’ve been influenced by the likes of Smith, Serra and Hepworth.  I use 22-guage sheet metal, welding rod and an oxyacetylene torch.  My pieces are moderate in size, taking months or even a year to complete.

My early pieces were abstract.  I experimented with piano wire hoping that the sound would persuade the viewer to linger longer.  Then I was drawn into portraiture, allowing me to express my fascination with early Netherlandish paintings. Now I expose the inner construction of my work, creating an inside reality which is as important to me as the outer aesthetic of the piece. As I’ve grown older, my pieces have become more realistic, darker and quieter, no doubt reflecting my age.