Eric Hultquist

Is an artist and designer who has worked in a variety of mediums ranging from ceramics to neon. His work focuses on Functional Art and Art Furniture, concentrated in three areas: highly colorful Art Pedestals for displaying objets d’art, Occasional Tables and Lamps. Every room needs a conversation piece that promotes inquiry and discussion; an intriguing point-of-interest towards which those in the room will instinctively gravitate.

Functional Art captivates the attention of everyone who enters that room. Because the everyday furniture it emulates is seen from an altered perspective. Although Art Furniture seems utilitarian at first glance – it’s recognizably something other – something different. On second glance, it’s not simply furniture but also an art object. Although an art object is usually ornamental, Functional Art has the unlikely quality of practical purpose as well. What should be one or the other has become a hybrid – an anomaly – a fascinating exception that no longer neatly “fits” into the everyday world of the ordinary that surrounds it. It’s that surreal quality which issues from this juxtaposition of ornamentation and utility that fascinates me. That’s why I do Functional Art!

In a more general sense, much of my work revolves around the juxtaposition and combination of opposites. Functional Art, by its very nature, is like that. It's an exercise in caprice that results in the whimsical. The curvature of organic flow that merges into the structured lines of geometrical forms. The rigid structure of a steel lamp outfitted with a shade of soft, flexible fabric. This is my art.

A lamp can often be as decorative as it is utilitarian. Moreover, a floor lamp can easily function as a stand-alone piece of sculpture in places where a sculpture might seem overly ostentatious or out of place. In these instances, the presence of an art lamp is given a “pass” because of its usefulness. Even so, the functional nature of my lamps is always subordinate to its sculptural and decorative qualities.

My lamps are crafted from Steel. Out of the various mediums in which I’ve worked, Steel is by far my favorite medium. Add a little heat and a rigid piece of steel becomes as pliable as clay. Add a little more heat and you can instantly join the pieces together. Within minutes, after it cools, you have a finished piece of work as durable as anything on the planet!

The base of each lamp may be any one of an ever-changing selection of original shapes and innovative configurations that help to define the character of the lamp which it supports.

Lampshades are an important component of all my lamps. Every shade is an intrinsic part of each lamp. These shades are often flat, adjustable platens which may be moved up or down, often working like flaps which pivot from side to side. In many ways the shades (also crafted from steel) are the most unique parts of each lamp. A shade or group of shades may consist of a set of geometric forms or define a variety of other objects such as: shells, feathers, flames, clouds, etc. A lamp itself may be inspired by and depict a variety of themes, songs, a concept, or a seemingly endless array of abstract forms.

In addition to my art and design work which has been featured in numerous juried shows, I'm also an accomplished Cóctelier and author of the book: The Fundamentals of Mixology: a textbook focused on the creation of original designer cocktails.

I did extensive classwork at ASU in Steel and Structural Sculpture, with an emphasis on Neon & Argon Sculpture and hold advanced degrees in History and Theology from Fresno Pacific University and The Catholic University of America. I also taught courses in World Religions and Critical Reading at Mesa Community College level for twenty years.