DONALD FORTESCUE

DONALD FORTESCUE Biography

Donald Fortescue is Australian born and educated, has exhibited internationally, and was one of the first artists to receive the Experimental Design Award from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, where he mounted a one-person exhibition in 2001. In his most recent body of work, Fortescue’s sculptures draw on design and craft technique.

DONALD FORTESCUE Resumé

Collections
Museum of Arts and Design, NY.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Mint Museum of Craft & Design, Charlotte, NC.
Wollongong City Gallery, Wollongong.
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.
Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.
Library, AGSM, University of NSW, Sydney.

Solo Exhibitions
2005 Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX.
2003 "Permutations." John Elder Gallery, NY.
2001 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
2001 "Correspondence." Plimsol Gallery, Hobart, Australia.
2001 "Empty Vessels." John Elder Gallery, NY.
1995 "AGROUND." at Jam Factory Craft and Design Centre, Adelaide. Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra. Wollongong City Gallery, Wollongong.
1990 Distelfink Gallery, Melbourne.
1989 "Full Circle." Narek Galleries, Cuppacumbalong, Tharwa, ACT.

Group Exhibitions

United States

2007 CCA: Sculpture Selections, Sculpturesite Gallery, San Franciso, CA.
2005 Convergence, Oceanside Museum of Art, San Diego, CA. Convergence, San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design, San Francisco, CA. Convergence, SOFA, Chicago, IL.
2004 'Donald Fortescue and Florian Roeper'. Blue Room Gallery, San Francisco, CA.
2002 '..and Also Pattern'. John Elder Gallery, New York, NY. 'New Traditions 2002'. Worcester Center for Crafts, Worcester, MA. 'Chests'. Tercera Gallery, Palo Alto, CA.
2001 'Add/Drop/Add'. Oliver Arts Center, Oakland, CA.
SOFA (Sculpture, Objects and Functional Art), Armory, New York, NY. 'Stools...'. Tercera Gallery, Palo Alto.
2000 'Point of Origin'. Bruce Gallery, CCAC, San Francisco, CA. Oliver Art Centre.
'Form Follows'. University of California, Davis, CA.
1999 Oliver Arts Center, Oakland, CA.
'The Measure of All Things'. The Great Hall. San Francisco, CA.
1998 John Elder Gallery, New York, NY. SOFA (Sculpture, Objects and Functional Art), Navy Pier, Chicago. Collectors of Contemporary Wooden Vessels, Sculpture and Furniture Conference. Parc 55 Hotel, San Francisco, CA. Furniture '98 - CCAC Student, Faculty and Alumni. Bruce Gallery ,CCAC, San Francisco. Furniture '98 - Members Gallery. Bruce Gallery, CCAC, San Francisco, CA.
1997 Design Australia. Westweek 1997. Pacific Design Centre, Los Angeles, CA.
1996 SOFA (Sculpture, Objects and Functional Art), Navy Pier, Chicago, IL.
1995 SOFA (Sculpture, Objects and Functional Art), Navy Pier, Chicago, IL.
1994 SOFA (Sculpture, Objects and Functional Art), Navy Pier, Chicago, IL.

International

1998 'The Somatic Object'. Dr. Earl Lu Gallery, Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore.
1997 'The Somatic Object'. National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan.
1994 'Art of the Object'. Craft Australia touring exhibition of South America. Montevideo, Uruguay and Santiago, Brazil. Australia
1997 'The Somatic Object'. Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney.
1996 'New Furniture'. Jam Factory Craft and Design Centre, Adelaide. Detail Contemporary Furniture Gallery, Melbourne. 'Design '96'. Artists + Industry, Melbourne. South Australia.'Crucible of Design'. Jam Factory Craft and Design Centre, Adelaide.'Re: Covering Manhattan'. Correct Exposure, Adelaide.
1995 'Beyond the Spiral Staircase'. Jam Factory Craft and Design Centre, Adelaide. 'Detail 6'. Detail Contemporary Furniture Gallery, Melbourne.
Design '95. Artists + Industry, Melbourne. 'Ektozone; Objects from the outer limits'. Gallery on 7, David Jones, Sydney.
1994 'Celebrate! the Jam Factory Craft and Design Centre. Twenty-one years'. Jam Factory Craft and Design Centre, Adelaide. 'ACT in the Rocks'. Crafts Council Gallery, Canberra; Craftspace Gallery, The Rocks, Sydney.
1993 Executive Office Furniture Incorporating Merino Leather. Narek Galleries, Cuppacumbalong, Tharwa, ACT. 'Crossing Over'. Crafts Council of the ACT Gallery, Canberra. Alice Craft Acquisition 1993. Araluen Craft Centre, Alice Springs.
'The Ethereal Edge'. Jam Factory Craft and Design Centre, Adelaide.
1992 'Addressing the Chair'. Canberra Contemporary Art Space. 'On Tray'. Jam Factory, Adelaide.
Alice Craft Acquisition 1992. Araluen Craft Centre, Alice Springs.'Furniture of the Boudoir'. David Jones, Canberra.
1991-92 'The Light Fantastic'. Canberra Contemporary Art Space; Distelfink Gallery, Melbourne; Sturt Craft Centre Gallery, Mittagong.
1990 '2nd National Woodwork Exhibition'. Royal Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne. Annual Exhibition, Woodcraft Guild of the ACT. Crafts Council of the ACT Gallery, Canberra. Qdos Gallery, Lorne, Victoria.
1989 'Craftsmanship in Wood'. Crafts Council of the ACT Gallery, Canberra. Woodworks. Blaxland Gallery, Sydney.
1988 'Five Years On'. Crafts Council Gallery, The Rocks, Sydney. 'National Woodwork Exhibition'. Royal Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne.
1987 'Canberra School of Art Graduating Students Exhibition'. CSA Gallery, Canberra. 'Appreciating Wood'. Melville Hall, ANU, Canberra. Held in conjunction with the Third National Wood Conference. 'The Canberra Collection 2'. Link Gallery, Canberra Theatre. 'Designer Makers in Wood'. Narek Galleries, Cuppacumbalong, Tharwa, ACT and Goulburn Regional Gallery. 'Woodcraft Revisits the Opera'. Exhibition Hall, Sydney Opera House.
1986 'Beauty and Utility in Wood'. Crafts Council of the ACT Gallery, Canberra. The Canberra Collection. Meat Market Craft Centre, Melbourne.

Major Commissions

United States

1998 Design Copyright consultant for Owen, Wickersham and Erickson, P.C. San Francisco.
At Jam Factory Craft and Design Centre, 1994-6.
Lectern for the Wollongong City Gallery, Wollongong. Lounge furniture and low tables for Fauldings International Corporate Headquarters, Adelaide.
'Technology Hub' interactive display centre for Primary Industries South Australia.
Restaurant fit-out for Botanic Dining Room, Adelaide. Tables, chairs, waiter's stations and wine racks.
Design of public seating for Rundle Mall, Adelaide. Collaboration with Steve Greive and Assoc. Architects.
Reception area furniture for David Deakin Davies & Co., Solicitors, Adelaide.
Winner of Design Institute of Australia (SA Chapter), Design Award, 1995.
Development of the 'Greef' chair for 'Workspace' and 'Art Images' with Kestie Lane and Martin Murray.
At Decorative Arts Workshop, 1990-4.
Construction of Assembly Table and Speaker's Desk for the ACT Legislative Assembly.
Boardroom Tables for the Meat Research Corporation, Sydney. Including development of Merino leather and testing its potential applications in furniture.
Design of all furniture and fabrication of sanctuary pieces for St. Michael's Parish Church, Kaleen, ACT. DAW collaboration.

Education
1993-95 Master of Creative Arts (Sculpture), University of Wollongong.
1986-87 Associate Diploma Visual Arts (Design in Wood), Canberra School of Art, Australian National University.
1975-79 Bachelor of Science (Honors in Botany), University of New South Wales