Ronald Rael (born 1971)[1] is an American visual artist known for his work in architecture, human rights and environmental advocacy along the U.S.–Mexico border, earthen architecture, and pioneering work in developing materials for 3D printing.[2]

Ronald Rael
Born1971 (age 52–53)
Conejos County, Colorado, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Colorado Boulder (B.EnvD),
Columbia University (M.Arch)
Known forArchitecture, additive manufacturing, 3d printing, visual art, earthen architecture, ceramics, border wall studies, activism
Websitewww.rael-sanfratello.com

Biography

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Ronald Rael was born on 1971, in Conejos County, Colorado.[1]

He is a tenured full professor at the University of California, Berkeley where he holds the Eva Li Memorial Chair in Architecture and is Chair of the Department of Art Practice. He Chaired the Department of Architecture from 2019 to 2020 and was the first chair in both of the Departments of Latino descent.[3]

He works independently, and operates collaboratively in the design ventures Emerging Objects, a "make-tank" that develops 3D printed materials, objects, software, hardware, as well as startup companies,[4] and Rael San Fratello, a social practice design based studio with the architect Virginia San Fratello.[5] In 2020 Rael San Fratello received the prestigious Beazely Award from the London Design Museum[6] and in 2021 the International Award for Art from the Institute for Public Art[7] for their project Teeter Totter Wall. In 2014 Rael San Fratello received the Emerging Voices award from the Architectural League of New York.[8] He co-founded FORUST, a 3D printing company that uses sawdust, which was acquired by the 3D printing company Desktop Metal.[9]

His collaborative work is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art,[10] the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art,[5] and The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. Their series, Bad Ombres v.2, was acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum as part of the Renwick Gallery's 50th Anniversary Campaign.[11][12] He was educated at the University of Colorado Boulder and Columbia University.[13]

Rael is the author of several books including Borderwall as Architecture: A Manifesto for the U.S. - Mexico Boundary (University of California Press, 2017),[14] Printing Architecture: Innovative Recipes for 3D Printing (Princeton Architectural Press, 2018)[15] and Earth Architecture (Princeton Architectural Press, 2008).[16] His widely viewed TED talk on Borderwall as Architecture presents a "subversive reimagining of the US-Mexico border wall."[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Ronald Rael". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Ronald Rael |". School of Architecture & Urban Planning. University of Wisconsin. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  3. ^ Martinez, Joseph. "Professor Ronald Rael 1st Latino Chair, Dept. of Architecture, UC Berkeley" (PDF). ByDesign. ByDesign. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  4. ^ V, Carlota (9 May 2019). "Emerging Objects on their unique approach to materials and architecture thanks to 3D printing". 3Dnatives. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Rael San Fratello". SFMOMA. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  6. ^ Q42, Fabrique &. "Teeter-Totter Wall". Design Museum. Retrieved 2023-08-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Teeter Totter Wall / IPA". www.instituteforpublicart.org. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  8. ^ "Emerging Voices 2014". The Architectural League of New York. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  9. ^ Vinoski, Jim. "Desktop Metal's Forust Brings 3D Printing To Wood". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  10. ^ "Virginia San Fratello". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  11. ^ Savig, Mary; Atkinson, Nora; Montiel, Anya (2022). This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World. Washington, DC: Smithsonian American Art Museum. pp. 228–238. ISBN 9781913875268.
  12. ^ "Bad Ombrés v.2". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  13. ^ "Ronald Rael". UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  14. ^ Rael, Ronald (April 2017). Borderwall as Architecture: A Manifesto for the U.S.-Mexico Boundary. Contributions by Teddy Cruz, Marcello Di Cintio, Norma Iglesias-Prieto, Michael Dear. ISBN 978-0-520-28394-7.
  15. ^ Jackson, Beau (12 December 2018). "BOOK REVIEW Printing Architecture: Innovative Recipes for 3D Printing by Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello". 3D Printing Industry. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  16. ^ Rael, Ronald (15 May 2010). Earth Architecture. Princeton Archit.Press. ISBN 9781568989457. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  17. ^ Rael, Ronald (25 February 2019). "An architect's subversive reimagining of the US-Mexico border wall". TED Conferences. Retrieved 23 December 2022.