Artist: Forrest Lesch-Middelton
Forrest Lesch-Middelton, CALIFORNIA
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Even the subtlest influences from outside any given culture will affect the
manner in which that culture is directed; a point that is exemplified by the history of Middle Eastern art and craft. I explore this through making work that questions the effect of today’s global influences on the direction of tomorrow’s expression in Middle Eastern culture. I employ silkscreen and embossment transfer techniques to slightly skew complex historical patterns, and emphasize volume on traditional utilitarian wares. Bridging technology and form is an essential element in my work; however, it is important that neither overwhelm the final aesthetic. Though I make pots that are complex in their creation, I hope to illustrate the intrinsic beauty found in the everyday ceramic object while using the familiarity and complexity of historic patterns to go beyond the role of utility. In an attempt to blend pattern, surface and form, my goal is to create work that simultaneously elicits a visceral and intellectual response, followed by a contemplation of the work as a whole. If one holds a piece that I have made, my work is complete; if one’s attention is held by that piece, the work is understood.
EDUCATION
2003-2006 Master of Fine Arts, Utah State University; Logan, Utah
1994-1998 Bachelor of fine Arts, New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University; Alfred, New York
professional experience
2006 - present Studio Potter
2013 - Present Owner, Origins Tile: Petaluma, California 2013 - Present President, Board of Directors, Association of Clay and Glass Artists
2011 - Present Board of Directors, Association of Clay and Glass Artists of California
2012 Artist In Residence, Leslie Ferrin’s Project Art; Cummington, Massachusetts
2007-2012 Ceramics Program Coordinator, Sonoma Community Center; Sonoma, California
2006 Artist in Residence, University of California Berkeley
2003 Guest Artist, Orcas Island Pottery, Orcas Island Washington
2001-2003 Co-Founder and Director, Center for Ceramic Arts, and Sebastian Ward Gallery; Berkeley, California
2000-01 Guest Artist, Orcas Island Pottery; Orcas Island Washington
1999-01 Artist In Residence, Mendocino Arts Center; Mendocino California
1998-99 Artist In Residence, Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts; NewCastle, Maine
1999 Technical Consultant, Animal Tile Works; Rockland, Maine
1998 Kiln Technicians assistant, New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University; Alfred New York
1996 Glass blowing assistant, Church and Maple Glass; Burlington, Vermont
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2008-Present Adjunct Ceramics instructor, Santa Rosa Junior College; Santa Rosa, California
2009-2013 Adjunct Ceramics instructor, Solano College; Fairfield, California
2014 Presenter Surface Forum, Potters Council; Lexington, KY
2014 Presenter, Florida Heat, St. Pete Clay; St. Petersburg, FL
2014 Visiting Artist, University of Alaska, Anchorage; Anchorage AK
2014 Visiting Artist, Texas Tech University; Lubbock, TX
2014 Volumetric Image Transfer, Taos Clay; Taos NM
2014 Visiting Artist, Green Mountain College; Poultney, VT
2014 Volumetric Image Transfer, Greenwich House Pottery; New York, NY
2013 Volumetric Image Transfer, Oregon Potters Association; Eugene, Oregon
2013 Volumetric Image Transfer, Herron School of Art: Indianapolis, Indiana
2012 Volumetric Image Transfer, Arrowmont School of Art; Gatlinburg, Tennessee
2012 Volumetric Image Transfer, Mudfire Studios, Decatur, Georgia
2012 Volumetric Image Transfer, Sierra Nevada College; Incline Village, Nevada
2012 Volumetric Image Transfer, Ruby’s Clay Studio; San Francisco, California
2011 Volumetric Image Transfer, Fourth and Clay Studio; Berkeley, California
2011 Volumetric Image Transfer, Sonoma Community Center; Sonoma, California
2011 Visiting Artist, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, Maryland
2011 Visiting Artist Workshop, Syracuse University; Syracuse, New York
2011 Visiting Artist Workshop, Hartwick College; Oneonta, New York
2011 Transferring Images to Clay, Baltimore Clayworks; Baltimore, Maryland
2010 Image Transfer Demonstration, ACGA Palo Alto; Palo Alto, California
2010 Blending, form function and surface, week long workshop, Mendocino Arts Center
2009 Visiting artist Lecture and demonstration, California College of Arts and Crafts; Oakland, California
2009 Image transfer workshop, Northern Clay Center; Minneapolis, Minnesota
2008-2009 Adjunct Ceramics instructor, City College of San Francisco; San Francisco, California
2009 Visiting Artist, Mendocino College; Ukiah, California
2008 Sabbatical replacement (ceramics), Ceramics, Diablo Valley College; Pleasant hill, California
2007 Printing on Wheel Thrown Clay, Mendocino Art Center; Mendocino, California
2007 Advanced Ceramic Techniques, Sonoma Community Center; Sonoma California
2006 Visiting artist Lecture and demonstration, California College of Arts and Crafts; Oakland, California
2006 Inventive Imagery Workshop, at Heath Ceramics; Sausalito CA
2003-2006 Graduate teaching assistant, Utah State University; Logan Utah
2004 Workshop assistant to J Daniel Murphy, Wood fired Ceramics, Utah State University; Logan, Utah
2003 Instructor Beginning and Advanced Ceramics, Diablo Valley College; Walnut Creek, California
1998-1999 Teacher and facilitator, Mud Mobile, Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts
1998-1999 Teacher for The Deck House School Project, Watershed Center For Ceramic Arts
1997 Instructor Pots That Pour, Princeton Arts Council; Princeton, New Jersey
1997 Ceramics Instructor, Princeton Arts Council; Princeton New Jersey
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2014 Contrasts, Solo Exhibition, Louis Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts; Lubbock, TX
2014 Bay Area Heavies, Trax Gallery; Berkeley, CA
2014 Three Perspectives, Trax Gallery; Berkeley, CA
2013 Distilled Essences I, Charlie Cummings Gallery; Gainesville Florida
2013 Yunomi Invitational, Akar Gallery; Iowa City, Iowa
2012 Image and Form, Akar Gallery, Iowa City Iowa
2012 Covet: Art Objects, Ferrin Gallery; Pittsfield, Massachusetts
2012 Honored Alumni Exhibition, Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art; Logan, Utah
2012 Colorscapes, Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art; Alfred University, Alfred, New York
2012 Art of the Northwest Table, NCECA Seattle, Urban Enoteca; Seattle, Washington
2012 Valentines Daze, Trax Gallery; Berkeley, California
2012 Dallas Pottery Invitational, The Gallery, Addison Visotors Center; Addison, Texas
2011 The Greatest Holiday Show On Earth, Dunedin Fine Arts Center, Tampa Bay, Florida
2011 Mendovernacular, The Heights Waterfront, NCECA, Tampa Bay, Florida
2011 Pattern and Design, Trax Gallery; Berkeley, California
2011 Recent Works by Forrest Lesch-Middelton (solo exhibtion), Gandee Gallery; Fabius, New York
2010 50 Gravy Boats, Diablo Valley College; Walnut Creek, California
2010 Invitational cup and holiday show; Fourth and Clay Gallery; Berkeley, California
2010 Form and Function: Ceramic Artists of California, Reynolds Gallery; Santa Barbara, California
2010 Once upon a time, Trax Gallery; Berkeley, California
2010 Flora, Schaller Gallery; Montana
2010 Yunomi Invitational, Akar Gallery; Iowa City, Iowa
2010 American Pottery Festival 2010 Preview, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
2010 A frosty journey, an exhibition of past watershed winter session residents, Worcester center for crafts; Worcester Massachusetts
2009 ‘tis a gift (19th annual Holiday exhibition), Northern Clay; Minneapolis, Minnesota
2009 Winterfest, Baltimore Clayworks; Baltimore, Maryland
2009 Holiday Exhibition and Sale, Gandee Gallery; Syracuse, New York
2009 American Pottery Festival, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
2009 Function and Fashion, Gallery 212, Sonoma, California
2009 La Mesa, Santa Fe Clay at NCECA, Phoenix, Arizona
2008 10x10 California Artists Invite Artists, Trax Gallery, Berkeley, California
2008 Utilitarian Clay V, Arrowmont school of arts and Crafts; Gatlinburg, Tennessee
2008 Yunomi Invitational, Akar Gallery; Iowa City, Iowa
2008 La Mesa, Santa Fe Clay at NCECA, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
2007 Four Score, Trax Gallery; Berkeley California
2007 The Pitcher Show, An Invitational Ceramics Exhibition; University of North Carolina, Pembroke, North Carolina
2007 Botanical, Santa Fe Clay; Santa Fe, New Mexico
2007 Featured Artist, Akar Gallery; Iowa City, Iowa
2007 Biennial Exhibition of functional Ceramics, Guilford Arts Center; Guilford, Connecticut
2007 Feats of Clay, Lincoln Arts; Lincoln, California
2007 By The Ounce, Louisville Kentucky
2007 Contrast: Ceramic Explorations in Black and White, Atrium Gallery; Muncie, Indiana
2007 Yunomi Invitational, Akar Gallery; Iowa City, Iowa
2006 Layered Objectives, Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition, Twain Tippetts gallery; Logan , Utah
2006 Ink and Clay 32, W. Keith and Janet Kellogg University art Gallery, California State Polytechnic university, Pomona California
2006 In the spotlight, presidents art show, Museum of Art and History, Salt Lake City
2005 Wood fired ceramics, university of southern Idaho
2005 Graduate Student Exhibition, Utah State University
2004 Invited Artist, International Transpersonal Conference; Palm Springs, California
2004 Graduate Student Exhibition, Twain Tippetts Gallery; Logan, Utah
2004 Starbrick Clay National, Starbrick Clay; Nelsonville, Ohio
2003 Graduate Student Exhibition, Twain Tippetts Gallery; Logan, Utah
2003 Northern California Ceramics, NCECA, San Diego, California
2002 Old Friends: an exhibition of the work by John Arndt and Forrest Lesch-Middelton, Sebastian Ward Gallery; Berkley California
2001 Artist in Residence Exhibition, Mendocino Arts Center; Mendocino, California
2001 Artist invites Artists, Coastal Arts; Fort Bragg, California
2000 Steeped in Tradition: the Contemporary Teapot, Ariana Gallery; Royal Oak, MI.
2000 Teapots, Vermont Clay Studio; Woodbury, VT
1999 Watershed in New York, Barney Building, New York University
1998 Undergraduate Thesis Exhibition, Robert Turner Gallery; Alfred, New York
1998 Emerging Artists of the United States, Vermont Clay Studio
CURATING
2012 Julia Terr Annual; Gallery 212, Sonoma, California
2011 Doceo Argilla, Ceramics Educators of California; Gallery 212, Sonoma, California
2009 Museum Pieces, Sonoma Community Center, Sonoma, California
2007 Conversations in Clay, Sonoma Community Center; Sonoma, California
2003 Assistant Curator to Leslie Ferrin, Short Stories, Sebastian Ward Gallery
2002 Second annual Holiday exhibition at the Center for Ceramic Arts, Sebastian Ward Gallery
2002 Expectations, recent works in porcelain by Jess Parker, Sebastian Ward Gallery
2002 Garage science, Sculptural Ceramics by Sue Whitmore, Sebastian Ward Gallery
2002 Dynamic Synthesis, Works by Christa Assad, Sebastian Ward Gallery
2000 Co-Curator, Gegnome Project; CCACA Conference, Davis California
PUBLICATIONS
2015 Graphic Clay: Ceramic Surfaces and Printed Image Transfer Techniques, Lark press New York, NY 2015.
2014 Sunset Magazine, Idea House, October 2014
2013 Ceramics Yearbook, Ceramics Monthly Artist of the Year 2013-14
2013 Volumetric Image Transfer Video, Ceramic Arts Daily 2014.
2013 Architectural Digest, Essential section; April 2013
2013 House Beautiful Magazine; June 2013
2013 Press Democrat, Forrest Lesch-Middelton: Making an Impression, Katie Watts March, 2013
2013 New York Times, Echoes of Ancient Civilizations, Julie Lasky, January 30
2011 Beauty From Contrasts, Ceramics Monthly, September, 2011
2007 Sonoma Valley Sun, December 20th
2007 The Column (Sonoma Community Center Magazine), Fall, 2007
2006 500 pitchers, Lark press
1998 Ceramics Monthly, May 1998.