A Road Less Traveled, Carved in Concrete
by Jim Calder

Deep in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, beneath aged maple trees and set amid a perennial garden and small brook, you’ll find the home and workspace of an unconventional craft artist — a pioneer in the craft of cement carving.

Ralph Prata’s 1800’s Adirondack home in Bloomingdale, N.Y., is where the symbols and forms in his limited-edition carvings gain inspiration through music. Vibrations and lyrics from different musical compositions unlock his inner creative vision, resulting in seemingly ancient images. His attached studio space consists of a carving room, office space, matting and frame room and a packaging and shipping area. Prata believes that concrete, which has always been around and used both functionally and creatively, is being rediscovered by many craftspeople due to its versatility, availability and cost.

Traditional craft media such as wood, clay and glass, contain a path where artists can learn from those who have gone before them. Not so with cement carving. Prata, who has been creating since 1978 and has made a living selling his work at craft shows since 1983, considers himself one of the first craftsman to solely use concrete in his craft.

“Having done many craft shows over the years I have yet to see anyone working in concrete as their main craft material. I have survived and prospered in the crafts world by taking a non-conventional route and using a non-conventional material,” he says.

Prata grew up 30 miles from the original ACE Craft Show in Rhinebeck, N.Y., and credits family trips to the show each year as the awakening of his experimentation in craft.

“Throughout high school, without formal training, I developed my own special techniques to carving various craft materials such as hard clay and wood,” he says. “After earning a degree in commercial art from Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., I began to search for a versatile and permanent material to carve,” Prata says.

While working part-time at his family-owned construction business, Prata discovered the true potential of concrete as an art form and developed his own special blocks to carve. His process involves formulating his own mixture of sand, aggregates and cements in order to create blocks to any desired size or shape. Each block is then artfully hand carved.

“My works are dreamlike perceptions of some universal quality of the past, present and future,” he says. “Each piece is created through a spontaneous and improvisational process.”

Prata’s pieces are designed to be open to the interpretation of the collector. “The works do not document particular life ways or tell stories; they are to touch the spirit and imagination, making the viewer feel free to find their own vision,” he says.

Taking the unconventional road can be risky and paved with failures, but the success stories are what we remember and the inspiration many people use to construct their own dreams.

Prata’s journey, especially the beginning was full of highs and lows. “My knowledge of the craft business came from craft artists on the show circuit and from publications like The Crafts Report and Sunshine Artist,” he says.

He claims the low point of his career came while starting the business and finding out what shows worked best to sell his work. Prata remembers shows being not profitable and very draining both financially and emotionally. His own resilience turned out to be a great asset as he resolved the issue by continually trying new shows until finding profitable venues for his crafts.

“It was difficult to be accepted as a craft artist using concrete, since it wasn’t considered a traditional craft media. Some shows don’t have a category for my medium,” he says.

In the beginning of his career he also drew great support from his wife, Bernadette. At the time she worked full time as a registered nurse and her income, benefits, and, most importantly, her unconditional support allowed him the freedom to pursue his passion.

Prata sells in both the wholesale and retail sections of the American Craft Council show in Baltimore. He is represented in numerous galleries such as Artisan Gallery in Lahaska, Pa.; Boulder Arts & Crafts Cooperative, Boulder, Colo.; Eclipse Gallery, Bar Harbor, Maine; and Show of Hands, Denver, Colo. He sells carvings from his Web site and also has work featured in an expanding nationwide restaurant franchise called Qdoba Mexican Grill.

What started out as “maybe 15 percent” of his yearly income has grown to 100 percent. Prata says he doesn’t work on a set schedule. However, he does strive to stay disciplined enough to keep the balance between work and his personal life. “Being a one-person operation, a majority of my time is spent creating, marking, selling my work and running the business,” he says. “I spend many hours in my studio working but do take off time to play when the opportunity arises.”

Primarily most of his sales are from arts and crafts shows throughout the U.S. such as the Columbus Arts Festival, American Craft Exposition, Cherry Creek Arts Festival and the St. Louis Arts & Crafts Festival.

Prata has experienced many high points during his extensive career starting with his first sale in 1980, followed by his first $1,000 show in 1982. There was his residency in Art Park in Lewiston, N.Y., in 1988, a one-person show in Nagoya, Japan in 1993, many first place awards, book cover and CD covers featuring his work, commissioned pieces, Niche awards for craft in 1996, 1998 and 2002, and a Decentralization Grant by the NYS Council of the Arts in 1999.

“The highest point is reaping the benefits of years of hard work and perseverance to be where I am now, participation in the nation’s top shows and winning top honors, gallery representation and supporting myself solely on my craft … to make a living doing what I love doing,” Prata says.

He advises anyone looking to take an un-conventional route to get advice from craftspeople working in similar materials. He’s a true believer that experimenting always opens doors for new concepts and new ideas. He says to learn from others about what shows may be best for you, supply resources, tips on running your business, what publications are best for you and countless other information.

“Start out slow and conservatively, keep expenses low,” he says. “I survived by educating buyers and craftspeople around me. The more shows I exhibited in, the more awareness I brought to the public about the use of concrete as a craft media, and over the years my work has become accepted for its uniqueness and creativity.”

Prata, who believes that having the best slides possible for entering shows is crucial, would like to do a book on his sculptural concrete images in the future.

Prata says many artists and craftspeople over the years have told him that his work inspires them with a spiritual and motivating feeling that enhances their lives.

For More Information
Ralph Prata
Ralph@ralphprata.com
www.ralphprata.com

“I enjoy the whole process of creating. I love the way my work touches, inspires and enhances people’s lives, including mine,” he says.

Prata believes that if you want to accomplish something in life, you should go out and do it. “Visualize where you want to be in 10 years, and keep a good sense of humor.”

Jim Calder is associate editor of The Crafts Report.

[Photos by Jerry Anthony Photography]