Basil Racheotes (Born 1953) "Goddess" Bronze 1980 1/3 sculpture on marble base. height: 27 inches. Racheotes got his BFA from Brandeis University in 1974. There he studied sculpture under Peter Grippe who encouraged him to attend the New York Studio School, which he did from 1974 – 75. Studying at the Studio School with George Spaventa, Peter Agostini, and Reuben Nakian, he sharpened his skills in modeling from life, mold making and casting. In 1977 he and fellow student Donald Ross, working out of their NYC studio, became full time assistants to Nakian. Ross inventoried and photographed all of Nakian’s new works (and a great deal of his older pieces) while Racheotes focused on enlarging Nakian’s clay maquettes to monumental scale. This working relationship continued until the older sculptor’s death in 1986 at age eighty nine. He maintains a working relationship with the Nakian Estate to this day. Concurrent with his collaboration with Nakian, Racheotes created his own works, primarily in terracotta. Examples of these early works are the studio still lifes created from 1978 – 80. Returning to the figure Racheotes focused on more fragmentary and impressionistic imagery,pigmenting the clay with underglazes or dry pigments to achieve a natural earthen quality. His work was shown in many NYC galleries at this time. Starting in 1987 and for several years until their closing he exhibited many smaller clay figures as well monumental plasters at Bologna Landi Gallery in East Hampton, Long Island. He also exhibited at ART/PLACE Gallery in Southport, Ct. for several years. He currently works out of his studio in Fairfield, Ct.