Acclaimed sculptor David Middlebrook specializes in large-scale and site-specific work. He candidly speaks about his process and materials, working both with public commissions and private galleries, and the continued growth of his over forty-year career.
“Do the most extraordinary thing you can imagine, that you are personally able to pull off, and you make a noise. Somebody will come along and discover you, and before you know it, things can happen in a really good way.”
David Middlebrook’s sculpture is rooted in his background in ceramics but utilizes such materials as stone, marble, bronze, wood, resin, and more to create fanciful objects that seemingly defy gravity while remaining cognizant of their materials. He studied art as an undergraduate at Albion College (1966) and completed an MA in ceramics (1969) and an MFA in sculpture (1970) at the University of Iowa. In 1974, he accepted a teaching position at San Jose State University, where he continued to teach until 2010. Middlebrook’s work has been exhibited and collected internationally, and he will participate in the Venice Biennale 2013. He is represented by the McLoughlin Gallery in San Francisco.