jon middlemiss

biographical details

Gold Medal -13th Biennale, Vallauris (F)1992.

Silver Medal - Kutani International Ceramics Competition (J)

1997Honourable Mentions - Mino Triennale, Zagreb Triennale.

Member of International Academy of Ceramics - Prague 1994

Collections include Keramion, Kestner, Taipai and Cologne museums.

Jonathan Middlemiss studied painting, printmaking, sculpture and photography at college and then continued to make his living from producing ceramics for over thirty years. Initially he made functional pottery but then went on to individual ceramic sculpture, vessels and design work.

His work is in public collections and museums in Europe and has received recognition through International awards. It has been shown widely throughout Britain, Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, the Middle East, America, Japan, Korea and New Zealand and has been featured in magazines, catalogues, dictionaries and other books.

Since 2001 he has concentrated more on painting, mainly showing them in Britain. This alternates with other projects such as the Land Art sculpture at Kemyel Crease Nature Reserve and teaching at Falmouth College of Arts.
" I grew up on a farm in a beautiful part of Yorkshire and as a child who didn’t go to school until I was thirteen, created a strong mythic and imaginary relationship with the elements and energies of the landscape. I see this as a foundation for my creative work and as the same awareness that is increasingly respected in the wisdom of the indigenous peoples of the world."

 

Details:

1949 : Born Harrogate, Yorkshire, England. Son of a farmer, living on small farm surrounded by valleys and moor land in Nidderdale. Educated at home to age of 11. First experiments with clay dug from moor land dykes.

1969-72 : Studied Fine Art at Scarborough and Exeter Colleges of Art, mainly drawing, print-making, painting and photography.

1969-70 : Travelled in Middle East and in Europe. Particularly interested in mosaics and Islamic architecture.

1972 : Established a small pottery in Exeter, producing functional earthenware and stoneware pottery.

1972-1977 : First studies of Meditation on Tree of Life

1977 : Helped to establish Chantry School of Art, a residential community of artists and craftsmen running courses and workshops in painting and crafts. Seminars also held on healing, meditation, and allied subjects, with retreats and counselling.

1980-89 : Series of lectures and workshops on meditation on the Tree of Life, to Plymouth Philosophical Society, Pythagorean Society, and West Country Natural Healing Fellowship.

1980 : 100 chalices commissioned for the Glastonbury Pilgrimage.

1980 : Moved to a studio near Helston, Cornwall.
1982 : Moved to Lelant near St.Ives, to concentrate on individual sculptural ceramics.
1988 : First exhibition and lecture tour of California. Also included trip to study the ceramics of the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico.
1989 : Further exhibition and lecture tour of California, New Mexico, and Colorado.

1989 : Elected onto British Crafts Council's Select Index.

1990 : Lecture to members of Industriegewerkschaft at Kreissparkasse, Hannover.

1990 : Opening of Keramik-Studio-Middlemiss, Gelsenkirchen, with introductory lecture.

1991 : Further lecture tour of California, including visits to Anasazi sites in Arizona. Workshop for Association of Californian Ceramic Artists, San Francisco & lecture at Azusa Pacific College, Los Angeles.

1992 : Awarded First Prize at Maaseik European Potters Market.
Prize Award at Cologne European Potters Market.
Elected Fellow of Crafts Potters Association of Great Britain & Chambre Syndicale des Ceramistes et Ateliers d'Art de France.
Prize Award at the Ceramics Biennale, Andenne, Belgium.
Awarded Gold Medal at the XIII Biennale Internationale de Ceramique d'Art, Vallauris, France.
Awarded Honourable Mention, 3rd International Triennale for Ceramics, Mino, Japan.

1993 : Lecture at N.C.E.C.A., San Diego, and further trips to Los Angeles, New Mexico, Chicago & New York.
Prize Award at Gouda Pottenbakkersfestival, Holland.

1993 : Honorable Mention, 5th Triennale of Small Ceramics, Zagreb, Croatia.

1994 : Elected Member of International Academy of Ceramics in Prague.

1995 & 1996 : Lectures at Falmouth College of Art.

1996 - 2005 : Tutor of ceramics. ( B.A. Hons. Ceramics, Falmouth College of Art )

1997 : Silver prize, Kutani Decorative Ceramics.

1993 - 97 : Feasibility Study undertaken with Jenny Beavan for International Ceramics Biennial for Britain.

1997 : Awarded South West Arts crafts award for project "temple".

2000 Research trip for "temple" to Rajasthan, India.

2001 Awarded South West Arts crafts award for final stages of "temple" project.
Research trip for "temple" to Nepal, and Auroville Foundation, Tamil Nadu, India.

2002 Awarded South West Arts award to stage "The Dance" at Trelissick Gardens.
New premises and home in Penzance.

2003 Awarded Arts Council award to develop sculpture at Kemyel Crease Nature Reserve with Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

2004 Dartmoor Project culminating in exhibition at the Monks Withecombe gallery, Chagford.

2004 Project with Sennen School to develop their playground begun with student painting and ITC projects.

2005 Yorkshire art project tracing father’s sheep droving route in the Dales - preliminaries.

2005 - present. External lecturer Contemporary Crafts, University College Falmouth. (B.A. Hons. Contemporary crafts)

2006 Yorkshire art project development and exhibition in September

2007 Development of two holiday cultural and creative courses in Lapland with Canterbury Travel.

2007 "Sustainable Makers", Transition Town Totnes. Development of groups direction with instigator Richenda Macgregor

2007 Workshop on "Clay Winning" for Sustainable Makers

 

Exhibitions include:

1979 Exeter University. Meditations on the Tree of Life.

1980 Gothic Image, Glastonbury. The Mysteries of the Chalice.
Gallery 21, Birmingham. A Working Meditation in Clay.
Packhorse Gallery, Bath. Plant Forms.

1981 Innate Harmony, London. Engraved Ceramics
Liberty & Co, "One-Off", London
Century Galleries, Henley-on-Thames.

1982 Salthouse Gallery, St. Ives.

1983 Casson Gallery, London.
Yew Tree Gallery, Derbyshire. Line and Image.
Freehand Gallery, Los Angeles, California.
Amalgam, Barnes, London.

1984 Beaux Arts, Bath.
Salthouse Gallery, St. Ives.
Dartington Cider Press Gallery, Devon. Images of Gold.

1985 Yew Tree Gallery, Derbyshire. Expressions of Tranquility.
Cecilia Colman Gallery, London.
Elaine Potter Gallery, San Francisco, California. The British.

1986 Artizana, Prestbury, Cheshire.
Liberty & Co, "One-Off", London
Amalgam, Barnes, London
Salthouse Gallery, St. Ives.
Galerie Maennig, Gelsenkirchen, West Germany.

1987 The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh.
Galerie Maennig, Gelsenkirchen, West Germany.

1988 Freehand Gallery, Los Angeles, California. New work & lecture.
Beaux Arts, Bath
Galerie Ewers an Gross St. Martin, Cologne, West Germany.
Galerie Maennig, Gelsenkirchen, West Germany.

1989 Paul Luster Gallery, San Francisco.
Running Ridge Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
" Flair of Handwerke", Munich, Germany.
Galerie Maennig, Gelsenkirchen, West Germany.

1990 First Edition of catalogue for touring exhibitions of:
Keramik-Museum of Frechen, (Solo).
Keramik-Museum of Kellinghusen, (Solo).
Kreissparkasse, Hannover, (Solo).

Invitational exhibitor, Centenial of Industriegewerkschaft, Chemie-Papier-Keramik, Hannover.
Andrew Usiskin Contemporary Art, Hampstead, London. (Ceramics & paintings).
Galerie Anderwereld, Groningen, Holland

Cecilia Colman Gallery, London.
" Flair of Handwerke", Munich, Germany.

1991 Saltram House, Plymouth, Devon.
Represented at PAAS, Paris, France.
Represented at Designord, Ganderkesee, Germany.
Gottingen, Germany.
" Flair of Handwerke", Munich, Germany.
Handwerkskammer of Cologne. (Ceramics & paintings) Opened by Professor Reineking von Bock of Cologne Museum of Applied Art.
Amalgam, Barnes, London
Hugo Barclay, Brighton, Sussex.
Oxford Gallery, Oxford.
Chateau Musee de Vallauris. France.
Fletcher Challenge Award, Auckland. New Zealand.

1992 Ob'Art, Paris, France.
Wilson & Gough, London.
Galerie Desko, Kortemark, Belgium.
Premiere Biennale Internationale de Ceramique d'Art, Sarreguemines.

1993 Leverkusen, Germany.
Fletcher Challenge Award, Auckland. New Zealand.
Represented at International Contemporary Arte Fiera, Bologna.
Represented at New Art Forms, Chicago. October.
Chelsea Crafts Fair.
Cecilia Colman Gallery, London.

1994 Beaux Arts, Bath. October.
Galerie Duynstee, Maastricht, Netherlands.
Galerie de Peperbusse, Ostende, Belgium
Galerie Graf Adolf, Cologne-Mulheim

1995 International Artmarket "Das Seltene Objekt" (The unique design ) Cologne. Germany
Museum of Langerwehe, Cologne, Germany.
Amalgam, Barnes, London
Chelsea Crafts Fair.

1996 Galerie Graf Adolf
Model House Gallery, Llantrisant, Wales.
New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham, England.
with International Academy, Saga Prefecture, Japan.
Spiez, Switzerland.

1997 Raumobjekt, Dusseldorf.
Cecilia Colman Gallery London.
Kutani International Biennial of Decorative Ceramics ( Silver Medallist )
since 1987 Represented at the International Ceramics Market, Milsbeek, Netherlands and the Ceramic Market, Frechen, Germany.

1998 Hart Gallery, Islington London.
Mid Cornwall Galleries (with paintings).
Invitational exhibition for the Renwick Alliance at studio
with guest artists Jenny Beavan and Jason Wason
Invitational exhibitor at The Discerning Eye, the Mall Galleries, London

1999 Artizana, Prestbury Cheshire
Roger Billcliffe "Architectural Ceramics"
Southwell Minster Millenium Exhibition, Nottingham
Installation of "temple". ( See here for more details )
at the Hotbath Gallery, Bath.

2000 European Ceramics, Yorkshire
Japanese Connections, Nagoya, Japan
Mashiko International Pottery Contest - judges commendation
Museum Fur Kunsthandwerk und Design, Grassimuseum, Leipzig, Germany.
MathematiKeramik - DesignGeometrie, Berlin.
Exhibition for Crafts Alliance, Missouri
Open Studio, with invited artist Jenny Beavan

2001 The Clay Place Philadelphia. Part of major exhibition by British Ceramicists.
Participation at two major fairs in Dresden and Cologne.

2002 The Carlin Gallery, Paris.
The Lemon Street Gallery, Truro ( CERAMICA)
Royal Cornwall Museum, ( CERAMICA)
Trelissick Gardens installation of sculpture " The Dance" ( CERAMICA)
Trelissick Galleries with Cornwall Crafts Association ( CERAMICA)

2003 Paintings in mixed exhibitions at Trelissick Gallery, Yew Tree Gallery - Morvah, Walker Galleries - Harrogate, Mid Cornwall Galleries - Par, Chase Arts - Wadebridge, Lighthouse Gallery - Penzance.
Solo exhibition "Landscape of Elements" at Morvah Schoolhouse Gallery, near Penzance.
Kemyel Crease Nature Reserve sculpture project " Wilderness - the Dance" ( July 2003 - April 2004)

2004 Paintings in mixed exhibitions. New work shown at "Affordable Art Fair" Bristol.
Project with Sennen School to develop their playground begun with student painting and ITC projects.
Monks Withecombe Gallery - Chagford,  "The Landscape Within" - paintings in mixed media. Results of a two month project on Dartmoor.
The Gallery Upstairs,  Henley - in - Arden, Warwickshire.

2005 Paintings exhibited as part of the 106th  Pastel Society exhibition "Pastels Today 2005" at the Mall Galleries, London  (Federation of British Artists)
The Gallery Upstairs, Henley in Arden .
Alpha House Gallery, Sherborne, Dorset.
Quest Gallery, Bath

2006 Alpha House Gallery, Sherborne, Dorset.
Morvah Schoolhouse near Penzance - "Light over the Land"
The Gallery Upstairs, Henley in Arden. 21st year Gallery Upstairs celebration.
The Drover's Path - The Countryside Dales Museum, Hawes, Yorkshire
Mathematical Ceramics - St Joseph Galerie, Leeuwarden, Holland
"Tree" Glasshouse Gallery, Truro

2007 Vitreous Gallery Truro
Quest Gallery, Bath.

Awards and Memberships

1989 Elected onto British Crafts Council's Select Index.

1992 Awarded First Prize at Maaseik European Potters Market.
Prize Award at Cologne European Potters Market.
Elected Fellow of Crafts Potters Association of Great Britain & Chambre Syndicale des Ceramistes et Ateliers d'Art de France.
Prize Award at the Ceramics Biennale, Andenne, Belgium.
Awarded Gold Medal at the XIII Biennale Internationale de Ceramique d'Art, Vallauris, France.
Awarded Honourable Mention, 3rd International Triennale for Ceramics, Mino, Japan.

1993 Prize Award at Gouda Pottenbakkersfestival, Holland.
Honorable Mention, 5th Triennale of Small Ceramics, Zagreb, Croatia.

1994 Elected Member of International Academy of Ceramics in Prague.

1997 Silver prize, Kutani Decorative Ceramics.

1997 Awarded South West Arts crafts award for project "temple".

2000 Judges Commendation. 3rd Mashiko Ceramics Competition 2000

2001 Awarded South West Arts crafts award for final stages of "temple" project

2003 Awarded Arts Council award for Kemyel Crease sculpture project.

Publications include:

Potters in their place. M. Whybrow 1982
Architectural Digest. U.S.A.1989
Neue Keramik - No.2 1990. Including feature article on techniques in "Workshop".
A dictionary of Studio Potters. P.Carter. 1990
Keramik von Jon Middlemiss. Catalogue produced by German Ceramics Trades Union on its Centenial celebrations in 1990.
Keramik von Jon Middlemiss. Catalogue produced by Keramik-Studio-Middlemiss for travelling exhibitions to Keramik Museums of Frechen and Kellinghusen and the Kreissparkasse, Hannover.1991
Keramik Lexicon. Gustav Weiss.1991
Ceramics, Art & Perception. Issue 9. 1992.Australia
Keramik-Magazin. Issue 6. 1992 Germany
Ceramics Monthly. February 1993. U.S.A. Cover article.
Ceramic Review. "Vessel on Earth". 1995
Neue Keramik - "Vessel & sculpture in discussion" 1996.
Resist & masking techniques - Peter Beard
Ceramic Form - Peter Lane 1998
Neue Keramik - front page and 3 page article September 1999
CERAMICA - Inside Cornwall article to coincide with the international festival of ceramics in Cornwall.
Catalogues with articles for various international events, including the Prix de la ville de Carouge 2001, and the Mathematicians Conference, Berlin. 1999 - 2004.
Kemyel Crease - Cornwall Wildlife Trust Magazine. 2003
Various publications - Kemyel Crease. 2003
Devon Life September 2004, Mid-Devon papers and other magazines, "The Landscape Within", exhibition at Chagford.
The Cornishman and other local papers.
Dorset Life July 2005.
St. Ives 1975 - 2005: Art Colony in Transition, Peter Davies, 2007
 

Collections include:

Keramion, Frechen, Germany.
Museum fur Angewandte Kunst, Cologne, Germany
Kestner Museum, Hannover, Germany
Het Princessehof, Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro, England.
Taipei County Yingko Ceramics Museum, Taiwan
Return