Biographical Note
By S.E. Stokowski
A capsule biography.
Most characterize R. C. Hörsch as a photographer, although he much prefers the more generic description of artist. This is because photography historically carries the connotation of documentation of the moment. But R. C. is much more about carefully constructed compositions than documentation. In this respect, he is perhaps more like a painter than traditional photographer. He prefers to build an idea in his imagination and take whatever steps necessary to realize it.
Because of this, his work is extremely varied. And also because of this, his images largely reflect whatever is in his mind and take us on a journey that has become torturous and increasingly obsessive.
It is the artist’s stated position that sexuality is the crucible of humanity and that it distills all of the human experience. He believes that not only is sex artistically legitimate, but that it is the primary and most legitimate avenue of artistic exploration. It is the artist's position that it is his right and duty to depict whatever he wishes and in whatever manner he deems appropriate. It is the artist's position that he must work without restriction or limit.
But, of course, our sexually phobic society sees differently. Where Hörsch views sex as the pinnacle of artistic endeavor, others see it as, well, an embarrassment. And most of us would impose some sort of limit somewhere.
Which raises the hoary question of who will decide where any such limit should be placed — a question tackled by the best legal and moral
minds and yet never adequately answered.
Which is what he is ll about.
* * * * *
Alternately an artist, filmmaker, composer, writer, porn performer, drug smuggler, some-time political activist, art forger, counterfeiter, pot grower, air show pilot, army deserter, fugitive, sociopath, ex-convict and all-out villain, R. C. Horsch's life has been as colorful and obsessive as his art...
In the 1960's, after briefly trying marriage and pursuits in engineering and computer science, he began working in film and became known for his expertise in directing small children for television commercials.
Simultaneously, he started a career as a still photographer but supplemented his income as an art forger specializing in Picasso etchings. Then, when his Viet Nam era draft deferments ran out in 1968, he began a seven year stint as an army deserter that was ultimately resolved by presidential amnesty in 1975. For several years during this decade, he reputedly fed both his love of airplanes and his adrenaline addiction by flying bales of unscheduled freight into the U.S. from Mexico.
On a freelance basis, he made many live action clips for the Children's Television Workshop ("Sesame Street") during its pioneering first year (1969) but he is perhaps best known for his startling magazine photo layouts which juxtaposed high fashion models and "skid row" escorts. "The Erotic Memoirs of a Male Chauvinist Pig" which starred Georgina, "Devil in Miss Jones," Spelvin. To date, he has produced, directed over two dozen adult films including his infamous "Evil Master" series which cannot be distributed in this country because of its extreme content.
Also during this period, he began a career as a porn performer by doubling for the famous Harry Reems after a "splash" shot was lost to a camera film jam. This career, spanning over forty years, continued until 2006 with regular appearances in Pleasure Production's "Streets of New York" and "Taxi Tales" public sex series and many other films. His last professional appearance, at age sixty-three, was in an outrageous music video with Audrey Hollander entitled "Dirt Road." All told, he has appeared in over a hundred adult films.
Unfortunately, ill-conceived, though technically impressive, engravings of Alexander Hamilton landed him in Federal prison in 1974. Then an indictment for an equally ill-conceived 1976 venture into designer chemistry marked the beginning of eight years as an international fugitive. He reportedly lived mostly in New Zealand and Australia during those years but somehow managed to fly a BD5-J micro-jet aircraft in various U.S. air shows, boldly (and foolishly) appearing on ABC's "Wide World of Sports" during the 1980 Reno Air Races.
His artistic career resumed in earnest shortly after completing his second federal prison term and then, during the 1990's, his steadily growing body of work began attracting international attention with major exhibitions in Rome, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
In 1993, he produced and directed a series of groundbreaking, couples oriented, erotic documentaries entitled "Lovers: an Intimate Portrait" for Candida Royalle's women-owned Femme Distribution Company. In 2003, he completed an extremely controversial, startling, compelling and disturbing quasi-documentary about artistic obsession, dysfunction, sexual abuse and degradation entitled, "Slaves." In 2006 he finished another controversial experimental film project about a psychopathic killer and his victim entitled, "Snuff!" And in 2008 he finished a feature documentary about political activist and porn star Nina Hartley and the emerging pro-sex feminist movement entitled "Nina." His self-described magnum opus, "Deleted Scenes," curently in the making, continues his obsession with dark sexual themes.
During the first decade of this century, his images have increasingly reflected his focus on the darker aspects of human sexuality and today, the artist once noted for his sensitive feminist perspective is now known for his graphic and increasingly misogynic and obsessive exploration of sexual extremes.
Unfortunately, in 2009, as his artistic career was gaining momentum, he was again arrested for growing medical marijuana and served another four years in federal prison.
While in prison, he wrote and published three novels and an anthology of short stories. He was released in 2013. Since then, he has added over two hundred still images to his body of work and mounted two major photographic exhibitions. He is currently completing the sequel to his "Slaves" film ("Deleted Scenes") and writing a volume of essays.
