Charles Cobb
biography |
portfolio | artists listing
b. 1947, Detroit, Michigan
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Atlantic Richfield Corporation, Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2009 Selected Works, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003 Solo Exhibition, Sebastopol Library, Sebastopol, CA
Illuminating 20 Years of American Craft, Sansar Gallery, Bethesda, MD
1999 Transformation: Contemporary Works In Wood, Society for Contemporary Craft,
Pittsburgh, PA
California Design, Contract Design Center, San Francisco, CA
1995 Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Exposition, Chicago, IL
1993-94 The Art of the Wood Box, Touring
The American Artisan, Nashville, TN
American Details, Coconut Grove, FL
Apropos Gallery, St. Louis, MO
The Clay Pot, Brooklyn, NY
Craft Company #6, Rochester, NY
Hanson Galleries, Houston, TX
1993 California Design, Contract Design Center, San Francisco, CA
Treasure Boxes, Spirals Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
1992 Uncommon Crafts, Bakersfield Museum of Art, Bakersfield, CA
Form Follows Fantasy, The Courtyard Gallery, Alameda, CA
Furniture and Fiber Arts: Contemporary California Designers, University of California,
Berkeley, CA
California Design, Contract Design Center, San Francisco, CA
Contemporary Wood, Banakeer Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
1991 A Summer Sampler, Q Gallery, Santa Rosa, CA
Furniture of the 90s, Franklin Parrish Gallery, New York, NY
A View From the Couch, Sansar Gallery, Washington, DC
California Design, Contract Design Center, San Francisco, CA
Furniture of the 90s, American Society of Furniture Artists, Houston, TX
Fine American Crafts by Sonoma County Artists, California Museum of Art, CA
1990-91 Contemporary Wood, Banaker Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
1990 Contemporary Crafts from WESTAF/NEA, Nevada Museum of Art, NV
Benchmark: Studio Furniture, Stary Sheets Gallery, Irvine, CA
1986-87 Annual Wood Show, Gallery Faire, Mendocino, CA
1986 American Crafts Gallery National Furniture Invitational III, Sylvia Ullman Gallery, OH
1984-86 Container Show, Northwest Gallery of Fine Woodworking, Seattle, WA
1985 Craft Concepts, Margate, NJ
1981 Hand Crafted Furniture, Los Robles Galleries, Pasadena, CA
1979 Cutting Edge, Contemporary Artisans, San Francisco, CA
1972 Solo Exhibition, University of Michigan, Dearborn, MI
1971 Solo Exhibition, Paideia Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Solo Exhibition, David Shale Gallery, Detroit, MI
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2003 Wood Art Today: Furniture, Vessels, Sculpture. Meilach, Dona. Schiffer Publications,
Westchester, PA.
2002 Celebrating Boxes. Crawford, Andrew & Lloyd, Peter. Linden Publishing, Fresno, CA.
2000 Woodwork Magazine. Feb.
1993 The Art of Making Elegant Wood Boxes. Lydgate, Tony. Sterling Publishing Co.,
New York, NY.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Throughout my 30-year career as a wood artist, my primary focus has been to create objects that go beyond the traditional look of furniture: to create a functional piece of sculpture out of wood. I am excited and challenged by finding new ways to enhance my finished designs with the inherent beauty of wood.
My initial designs adopted a purely organic approach to furniture design. In the late 1980’s, I began highlighting the natural edges of the wood or tree in my designs. I was intrigued with taking a natural edged board, or scrap from a local firewood pile, and designing an entire object around it. The use of this natural edge began to impact many of my designs.
Since 1987, I have concentrated my conceptual interests in two directions: designing work around a natural edge piece of wood and creating several bodies of themed pieces.
My work is both organic and geometric: my ultimate goal has always been to create a unique, beautiful object.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Atlantic Richfield Corporation, Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2009 Selected Works, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003 Solo Exhibition, Sebastopol Library, Sebastopol, CA
Illuminating 20 Years of American Craft, Sansar Gallery, Bethesda, MD
1999 Transformation: Contemporary Works In Wood, Society for Contemporary Craft,
Pittsburgh, PA
California Design, Contract Design Center, San Francisco, CA
1995 Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Exposition, Chicago, IL
1993-94 The Art of the Wood Box, Touring
The American Artisan, Nashville, TN
American Details, Coconut Grove, FL
Apropos Gallery, St. Louis, MO
The Clay Pot, Brooklyn, NY
Craft Company #6, Rochester, NY
Hanson Galleries, Houston, TX
1993 California Design, Contract Design Center, San Francisco, CA
Treasure Boxes, Spirals Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
1992 Uncommon Crafts, Bakersfield Museum of Art, Bakersfield, CA
Form Follows Fantasy, The Courtyard Gallery, Alameda, CA
Furniture and Fiber Arts: Contemporary California Designers, University of California,
Berkeley, CA
California Design, Contract Design Center, San Francisco, CA
Contemporary Wood, Banakeer Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
1991 A Summer Sampler, Q Gallery, Santa Rosa, CA
Furniture of the 90s, Franklin Parrish Gallery, New York, NY
A View From the Couch, Sansar Gallery, Washington, DC
California Design, Contract Design Center, San Francisco, CA
Furniture of the 90s, American Society of Furniture Artists, Houston, TX
Fine American Crafts by Sonoma County Artists, California Museum of Art, CA
1990-91 Contemporary Wood, Banaker Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
1990 Contemporary Crafts from WESTAF/NEA, Nevada Museum of Art, NV
Benchmark: Studio Furniture, Stary Sheets Gallery, Irvine, CA
1986-87 Annual Wood Show, Gallery Faire, Mendocino, CA
1986 American Crafts Gallery National Furniture Invitational III, Sylvia Ullman Gallery, OH
1984-86 Container Show, Northwest Gallery of Fine Woodworking, Seattle, WA
1985 Craft Concepts, Margate, NJ
1981 Hand Crafted Furniture, Los Robles Galleries, Pasadena, CA
1979 Cutting Edge, Contemporary Artisans, San Francisco, CA
1972 Solo Exhibition, University of Michigan, Dearborn, MI
1971 Solo Exhibition, Paideia Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Solo Exhibition, David Shale Gallery, Detroit, MI
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2003 Wood Art Today: Furniture, Vessels, Sculpture. Meilach, Dona. Schiffer Publications,
Westchester, PA.
2002 Celebrating Boxes. Crawford, Andrew & Lloyd, Peter. Linden Publishing, Fresno, CA.
2000 Woodwork Magazine. Feb.
1993 The Art of Making Elegant Wood Boxes. Lydgate, Tony. Sterling Publishing Co.,
New York, NY.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Throughout my 30-year career as a wood artist, my primary focus has been to create objects that go beyond the traditional look of furniture: to create a functional piece of sculpture out of wood. I am excited and challenged by finding new ways to enhance my finished designs with the inherent beauty of wood.
My initial designs adopted a purely organic approach to furniture design. In the late 1980’s, I began highlighting the natural edges of the wood or tree in my designs. I was intrigued with taking a natural edged board, or scrap from a local firewood pile, and designing an entire object around it. The use of this natural edge began to impact many of my designs.
Since 1987, I have concentrated my conceptual interests in two directions: designing work around a natural edge piece of wood and creating several bodies of themed pieces.
My work is both organic and geometric: my ultimate goal has always been to create a unique, beautiful object.