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Richard Bitterman is a self-taught metalsmith, but not a self-educated artist. He studied at the world famous Institute of Design in Chicago, during the time such greats as Maholy Nagy were teaching there. That's one reason why, altho he has chosen to work primarily in unorthodox materials--brass, copper, steel--rather than in traditional gold or silver, it is his design skill that has put him on the art world's map.
If some of Bitterman's Jewish ceremonial pieces look familiar to you, you may have seen them in Kathryn Morton's beautiful book, Judaic Artisans Today. He also appears regularly at religious conferences.
In his religious pieces, too, he does the unorthodox (no pun intended) and the unexpected. Traditional Judaica was made in precious metals only. (At the very first religious conference he participated in, a rabbi looked at his Kiddush cup, pewter with brass and steel trim, and said, "Nobody will buy this." Richard sold two at that show. Perhaps tradition was changed a little there.)
Unorthodox, but not heretical. The feel is there: it is clearly, undeniably, traditionally Jewish.
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