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Biography
Robert Ellison was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1946 and currently resides at his mountaintop studio in Sonoma County, CA. His studio specializes in colorful large-scale welded steel sculpture, but Mr. Ellison is also recognized for his highly detailed scale maquettes that reveal the same attention to detail and are painted as exquisitely as his large-scale works. His art ¬experience spans over three decades and includes many public and corporate, large scale, permanently sited commissions located from Providence, Rhode Island to Santa Rosa, California to Anchorage, Alaska.
Installations have included sites at the San Francisco Civic Center Plaza, Oakland City Center, City of Mountain View City Hall, U.S. Dept. of Energy Fermi-Lab, Syntex Corp., and a wealth of other corporate, municipal and private settings. His works can also be found in many prominent collections worldwide, including Rene DiRosa’s Preserve in Napa, California. He has had numerous national and international gallery exhibitions. Mr. Ellison is also well known for his public performance, the "Unveiling of Four Times Daily", which took place on San Francisco Bay in the late 1970’s and was documented by Bravura Films.
He has given more than 50 lectures on his steel sculptures and his sculptural ceramics, as well as taught at Michigan State University, Lansing Community College, College of Marin and the San Francisco Academy of Art College. He has made approximately 25 television appearances and two documentary films have been produced about his sculptures; "Four Times Daily" (Bravura Films, San Francisco, CA) and "Donut Diorama" (Chris Robson, Sausalito, CA).
In 2005, Mr. Ellison was diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Despite this diagnosis, and the continued decline of his body, he continues to design, build, and install sculpture with the support of a dedicated and talented team.
Curriculum Vitae
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2011 a new leaf gallery | sculpturesite, Sonoma, CA
2005 Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Rosa, CA
2004 Model to Monument Maquette Show, Santa Rosa, CA
1995 Sculptural Invitational, Meuso Valle D’ Aosta, Torino, Italy
1995 Contract Design Center, San Francisco, CA
1992 American President Lines Headquarters, Oakland, CA
1991 Victor Fischer Galleries, San Francisco, CA
1988 San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
1984 Rabak & Russel Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1984 San Francisco Academy of Art College, San Francisco, CA
1978 San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, San Francisco, CA
1977 Mills College Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1976 James Willis Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2007-2008 Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, CA
2007-2008 Paradise Ridge Sculpture Grove, ENCORE, Santa Rosa, CA
2006 Downtown Public Art Exhibit, Stamford, CT
2005 Destinations, Arts Council of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, CA
2004 Hacienda Crossroads Show, Dublin, CA
2003 Lookout Sculpture Park, Petaluma, CA
2002 Mill Valley Sculpture Garden, Mill Valley, CA
2001 University of San Francisco, CA
2001 Whimsy Show, Santa Rosa Junior College, Petaluma, CA
2000 Morris Graves Museum of Art, Melvin Schuler Sculpture Garden, Eureka, CA
1999 SoFo 2 Gallery, Cultural Arts Council of Sonoma County
1998 William Zimmer Gallery/Stevenswood, Mendocino, CA
1998 The Olive Grove Sculpture Garden, St. Helena, CA
1996 La Quinta Sculpture Park, La Quinta, CA
1994 Syntex Corporation 50 Year Anniversary Show, Palo Alto, CA
1993 Northshore Sculpture Park, Skokie, IL
1992 Oakland City Center, Oakland, CA
1990 People’s Choice Project, Concord, CA
1975 Laguna Beach Museum of Modern Art, Laguna Beach, CA
Selected Major Commissions
2010 “Name That Food Group”, Safeway Inc., Sunnyvale, CA
2010 “Breeze”, City of Antioch, CA
2009 “A-mend”, Fremont Maintenance Service Center, Fremont, CA
2009 “Cherry Soda”, Downtown Theater District, Petaluma, CA
2008 “Unity”, Mandela Gateway, Oakland, CA
2008 “Measuring Time”, Home Depot, Huntington Beach, CA
2008 “Bug Buddies”, Mountain View Child Care Center, Mountain View, CA
2008 “Bounce”, Dunedin Community Center, Dunedin, FL
2007 “Zig Zing”, Aurora Senior Center, Aurora, CO
2006 “Sprouting Seed Bench”, Big Tree at Country Estates, Broomfield, CO
2005 “Tweak 360°”, Jordan Park, Salt Lake City, UT
2005 “Las Mariposas”, Las Mariposas Community, MACSA Inc., San Jose, CA
2005 “Impact”, Stockton Teen Center, Stockton, CA
2004 “Info-Point”, Dallas Convention Center, Office of Cultural Affairs, Dallas, TX
2003 “X-Totem”, Lincolnwood School, Lincolnwood, IL
2002 “Know Way”, Dublin Public Library, Dublin, CA
2002 “Chase”, City Park Lincolnshire Shopping Center, ECD Corporation, Chicago, IL
2002 “Spin”, Embarcadero Station, Bay Area Transit, San Francisco, CA
2001 “Roll Play”, Harvest Community Park, Writer Homes Corp., CO
2000 “Regatta”, Jack London Aquatic Center, Oakland, CA
2000 “Ricochet”, Great America Building, Renaissance Group, IA
1999 “Mr. Zebra & Friends”, Alameda County Recorder’s Office, Alameda Co. Arts Council, CA
1999 “Sweep”, Rohnert Park Cultural Arts Center, Rohnert Park Association for the Arts, CA
1998 “Sun Zone”, Sonoma County Administration Center, Arts Council of Sonoma, CA
1998 “Ascent”, Cedar Rapids, IA
1997 “Time Wave”, Shepard Building, State Council on the Arts, Providence, RI
1996 “Point to the Time”, Kincaid Elementary School, Municipality of Anchorage, AK
1990 “Contest”, University of Wisconsin, WI
1976 “X-Position”, Washington State University, WA
Selected Long Term Installations
Paradise Ridge Winery, Santa Rosa, CA
Santa Rosa City Hall, Santa Rosa, CA
San Francisco Civic Center, San Francisco, CA
China Camp Design Center, San Rafael, CA
Santa Rosa Junior College, Petaluma Campus, Petaluma, CA
Awards
1990 Purchase Recommendation, “People’s Choice Project”, Concord, CA
1975 Feature Exhibit, Bicentennial San Francisco Art Festival
1975 First Place Award, 21st Annual All California Show, Laguna Beach Museum of Art
1974 Purchase Prize, San Francisco Art Festival
1971 First Place Award, Detroit Institute of Arts
Education
1971 Michigan State University, M.F.A.
1969 Michigan State University, B.F.A.
Teaching
1996 San Francisco Academy of Art College
1973-1978 College of Marin, Kentfield, CA
1971-1972 Lansing Community College, Lansing, MI
1970-1971 Michigan State University, Lansing, MI
Statement
Large public sculpture design and construction, along with smaller, more exploratory pieces, have been my primary focus for three decades. I like to create large, whimsical pieces in rich colors using steel, aluminum, concrete, neon and clockworks. Early works consisted of monochromatic assemblages of simple, enclosed volume form, executed in welded steel. As my career and expertise with steel have progressed, more complex, undulating forms have evolved, along with the use of dramatic color. I explore the use of dioramic forms, two dimensional and three dimensional collaborations, "invisible" support systems and animated forms with and without mechanized elements.
I enjoy creating forms and relationships that did not exist before, and could not exist in any media with less strength and durability than steel. I have found that color coated steel can impersonate and take on graceful, playful, plastic qualities. Sculpture should perpetually intrigue and capture the imagination of its viewers. It should enrich the viewer through repeated and continual contact; adding a friendly grace, beauty and familiar comfort to their lives.
The artwork I produce is humorous, joyous, animated and interactive. My goal is to design and produce sculpture that can be enjoyed by visitors and members of the community. I have developed a portfolio of sculptural solutions (form and format) and an enthusiasm for developing new and specific solutions to unique situations. I fabricate all of my pieces in my mountaintop studio in Penngrove, California.
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