Jason Middlebrook American , b. 1966

Jason Middlebrook was born in Jackson, Michigan in 1966. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and a Master of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute. He also completed an Independent Study Program at The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

 

Middlebrook's art combines natural forms and found objects with references to abstractionists of the 20th century. His signature works involve carving and shaping tree trunks into canvases for geometric compositions that reference works by artists such as Ellsworth Kelly, Bridget Riley, and Frank Stella. He has also created assemblages from concrete-cast bottles and mobiles made of wooden scraps that pay homage to Alexander Calder.

 

In his earlier works created in New York, he focused on repurposing materials, while his more recent works created in Hudson, New York, incorporate wood from his surroundings. He creates abstract forms, graphic patterns, and geometric shapes on cut and carved tree trunks. In recent years, he has also created pictorial and illustrative works that combine his wood art motifs with personal experiences.

 

Recent solo exhibitions include Galleria Giampaolo Abbondio, Todi, Italy; Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY; David Smith Gallery, Denver, CO; Moss Arts Center, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA; Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA; LaMontagne Gallery, Boston, MA; Jeff Bailey Gallery, Hudson, NY; Lora Reynolds Gallery, Austin, TX; Galleria Pack, Milan, Italy; David B. Smith Gallery, Denver, CO; Lora Reynolds Gallery, Austin, TX; Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA; and the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, Catskill, NY.
 
Middlebrook’s work has been included in group exhibitions at the Children’s Museum of the Arts, New York, NY; Dorsky Museum of Art, New Paltz, NY; Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA; Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver, CO; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA; Parco Archeologico di Siponto, Siponto, Italy; Peters Projects, Santa Fe, NM; Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH; and the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, among others.
 
His work may be found in the collections of the Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA; Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY; Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO; Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA; Marte Museum, San Salvador, El Salvador; Redmond, WA; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL; The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; NASA Art Program, Washington, D.C.; New Museum, New York, NY; Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH; US Embassy, Podgorica, Montenegro; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY, and elsewhere.
 
Middlebrook lives and works in Hudson, NY.