George Rhoads

George Rhoads

Chinon, France - George Rhoads died peacefully in Chinon, France, on July 9, 2021. He was 95. George had been living with his son in France for several years. Born in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Paul Spottswood Rhoads, MD, and Hester Chapin Rhoads, he is survived by his two children, Paul Rhoads and Daisy Rhoads; his grandchild, Chip Chapin; and two sisters, Emily Rhoads Johnson and Paula Menary. A third sister, Hester Bradbury, died in 1982. George attended the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Chicago, then spent a year at L'Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in Paris. In 1955 he returned to New York City and married Shirley Gabis. The couple had two children, Paul and Daisy, and eventually divorced.

George's talent for drawing was apparent by the age of two. His passion for painting continued throughout his lifetime, even though he became better known for his captivating audiokinetic sculptures, which can be seen in airports, malls, science museums, and hospitals throughout the world. "People have always tended to equate machines with drudgery," he once said. "My goal is to show machines at play." One of his most intricate ball machines can be seen at the Sciencenter in Ithaca, where its musical sounds and whirling balls delight viewers of all ages. Many Ithacans will remember visiting Rock Stream Studios, where the ball machines were built. George and his partner of 30 years, Bob McGuire, often invited the public to enjoy the sculptures before they were shipped off to faraway places.

It would be difficult to categorize George's painting style because it varied from one decade to the next. He began with abstract city scenes, moved to trompe l'oeil, early Renaissance, and both surreal and realistic landscapes. He was an origami master and invented a series of folds known as the Blintz Bird Base, now a standard technique. He invented patterns for many figures, the most famous being the first elephant to have four legs, two ears, two tusks, a trunk, and a tail—all from one piece of paper. George believed deeply in the value of meditation and studied with the Hindu guru, Yogananda. When he wasn't designing ball machines, painting, creating origami figures, or reading science fiction (particularly Jack Vance), he was drawing cartoons, building fountains, teaching yoga, listening to Beethoven or jazz, thinking up palindromes, or writing novels. Everything in his life was fodder for art.

George lived in Martha's Vineyard, New York City, Dundee, and Harford Mills before finally settling in Ithaca in 1985. Graphic artist Marcelle Toor was his beloved partner for twenty years before her death in 2009. George's legacy will be one of giving joy and a sense of wonder to everyone lucky enough to have known him or reveled in his awe-inspiring abundance of art.

The funeral will take place in France. Donations in George's name may be made to the Community Arts Partnership, 110 N. Tioga St., Ithaca, NY 14850.