Not Just A Rock: An Interview with William Koch
Sculptor and painter Bill Koch's biggest frustration in his work is dealing with his computer. He
doesn't have a website, nor does he need one: all his commissions are by word-of-mouth, and he hasn't
yet run out of work. In both his memorial sculptures and his abstract painting, he values the simplicity of
design that gives him freedom for artistic expression. His best piece of advice is his motto: "just keep
things simple."

What is your preferred medium, and why?
That's an intangible question for me. My theory is that I use whatever I have. It's about building
the piece, not the singular medium. With my paintings, I'll use anything at hand: it could be oil from a
motor, or detergent - oddball stuff. My sculptures are made from more traditional materials, but I don't
have a preferred medium.

What memorable responses have you had to your work?
Well, that statue right there, before he had hair, one of the artists called him 'little encephalitis
boy.' I do a lot of monuments for people, and usually I get comments about closure, how it helped the
family. Several people have said that I'm the hardest working sculptor in Buffalo, but the least known,
which is a good thing [Laughs]. Most of what I do is serious, so you don't get too many funny comments.

What about responses to your paintings?
People usually ask if they're maps. What really cracks me up: my least favorite is, "it looks like
you're really influenced by Kandinsky." I hate Kandinsky, and I hate referring to other people from a bygone generation to describe art. It's a crutch for people who don't know how to talk about art.

Where do you find inspiration?
Well, cemeteries...nature...really a lot from my mind. When someone has a creative aspect
turned on full-time, it doesn't take a lot to get you going. It could be a little piece of a book, something
while driving home, memories...the way light falls on a stone at the cemetery that changes it to
something more inspirational than just a rock for a dead person.

What is your favorite cemetery?
Of course, there's Forest Lawn. There's also a really nice cemetery where I lived near Virginia
Commonwealth University, Hollywood Cemetery. It's supposedly haunted...there's a statue of a dog
from the 1800s that will run around at night. I've been there at night, and seen a dog running around,
but it's probably just a neighborhood dog. The cemetery is on a bluff that overlooks the James River
from up on high...it's beautiful.

Who has had a significant influence on you as an artist?
Probably two old professors. One I fought with forever, and eventually I got to see that he was
right about some stuff - Myron Helfgott. The other I had for only one semester, but he was so to-thepoint: Lester Van Winkle was from Texas, and he didn't sugarcoat things. He has an online list that all
sculptors should read, with a hundred points about making sculpture called "Lester's Laws."

Where would you like to be in five years?
I'd like to have enough money for a new sailboat, to take off and sail for a year or two. I've been
working thirty years full-time, so it would be nice to have a break.

What fascinates you?
Not Just A Rock: An Interview with William Koch
The things we don't know...the life and death thing, the universe - you know, the big questions.
Or, it could be as simple as when I'm sailing, the physics of how little it takes to make things move.
Everybody likes to think they're bigger than they are, and the world settles you down to realize that
you're just another piece in the puzzle, and you're very small.