For artist David Ellsworth, wood is "the most perfect imperfect material". Ellsworth, a pioneer in the field of wood art, is a master of form whose quietly powerful work has influenced three generations of wood artists. "To me, creating is collaboration between ideas, materials and process," says Ellsworth, who has been a professional artist since the early 70's. A student of sculpture and architecture, he also studied ceramics, and although that influence is clearly seen, there is no question but that these works are as much about the wood as the forms.
David Ellsworth's work is in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, among others. He is a former Pew Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts fellow.
