David B. Anthony Biography

I was born at Providence Hospital Washington D.C. on the morning of August 25th 1961. I was born with a fraternal twin brother named Chris. Marty, and Don Jr. are my older brothers. Francis, my youngest brother,was born 4 years later in California. My mother Mary, came from Delaware and my father Don, from Pennsylvania. Before my second birthday my parents moved to California. They loaded us all up in a station wagon and drove to the West Coast taking in the sites along the way. Yellow Stone and Mount Rushmore formed some of my earliest memories. My family spent 17 years in this house which was my first home. While in kindergarten I created my first wax, paper and clay sculptures. In first grade my chosen occupation during a class project was Artist. I wanted to make the world a better place with my art. Not much has changed. I won poster contest’s in third and fourth grade and was labeled an Artist. When I was thirteen or so I began spending more time alone and started sculpting animals out of card board and paper mache. When I was 16 I started to build a full size Grizzly bear. Using chicken wire, 2x4’s, paper mache and a bolt of fake fur I created what would become my high schools mascot for the next 12 years. The bear became a class gift and after 18 months of hard work I presented it for my class, to the school during graduation (California High School Class of 79’). I was captain of the soccer team and selected scholar athlete my senior year. I received Pell and Cal Grants. My college began at Hayward State University where I spent most of my time with Clayton Bailey in the Ceramics dept. I was working full-time as a Machinist turning large ball valves for the Alaskan Pipeline and I sculpted an over life size bust of John Wayne in clay. In 1980 I transferred to Chico State University chasing a soccer goal. After an injury and nearly making the team I spent all my time welding in the Art Dept. In 1981 I transfer to The Academy of Art College in San Francisco. The location of the school in the middle of the city surrounded by 100’s of galleries was key to my development. While at the academy I met many influential artists, teachers and art dealers. Tomas Marsh, Ron Young and Aristides Demetrios would have the most impact on my Art. I would graduate with Distinction and a Fellowship with my B.F.A in fine art in 1985 and M.F.A in Sculpture in 1987. In 1986 began relationship with the Chicago Art Dealer Jean Albano. One year apprenticeship with the sculptor Aristides Demetrious in San Francisco in 1987. My passion for the human form was central to my art during most of the 1980’s. This passion was at its most intense while in Italy apprenticed to the Renown sculptor Milton Hebald outside of Rome during 1984. The series of stylized life size plaster figures I carved when I returned to California were inspired by Europe and the time spent in Hebalds studio in Bracciano, Italy. Plaster was carved with power tools, files and modeled over welded and forged steel skeletal structures. These steel structures led to me working primarily in steel. In 1986 I set up a studio in Emeryville California. Gradually the subject of my art was less inspired by the human form, being replaced with a material and spacial exploration of my creativity fueled by note book drawings, found objects (mostly steel) and plaster. Dozens of series were created in different materials, sizes and shapes and best described as abstract or abstract/ figurative. Color was less important then shape in a vertical cannon. A good example was my exhibit at the Richmond Art Center in 1987 called “Drawings in Steel”. Henry Moore and thinking about large scale sculpture in the landscape redirected my art horizontally. In 1990 I won a state wide competition and created “FireFighters”, 11x9x7’, for the City of Fremont. The abstract/figurative cast concrete and steel monument is designed into the hillside in front of fire station # 4. It was created as a monolithic form dedicated to the unity of teamwork. Designed and remodeled new live work studio in Emeryville. From 1988 to 1994 I worked for freelance curators and museums around the bay area installing exhibitions. Much of this period took place at the Oakland and De Young Museums. Other forms of work included creating functional art for many clients in steel. In 1991 after creating and installing “FireFighters”, I returned to steel and began creating again composing on a lazy susan. I was still stick welding at this time. Because of the spinning motion of the lazy susan while designing on one I discovered the beauty and power of movement, seeing space open and close around and in a sculpture without moving myself. I began adding bearings and movement to some of my steel sculpture. In 1992 I was selected for an International Cultural Exchange and exhibition and traveled to Vladimir, U.S.S.R for the month of August with six other artists. In 1994 I was asked to helped set up the new sculpture department at the Academy of Art college and for a number of years assisted in teaching welding and bronze casting. Around this time replaced my buzz box (stick welder) with a heavy duty Mig Welder. Alumni Exhibit Academy of Art, San Francisco. Cast in bronze many of my own works during this period 1994-98. In 1997 and 1998 exhibited work at the Yerba Buena Museum Sculpture Walk and Terrain Gallery, San Francisco. In 1995 I won a city wide competition in Emeryville to create a large scale public work for Sybase Corp (now owned by Expressions College). I created ”Celestial Motor”,11x9x7’, an abstract adjustable steel sculpture that rotates by hand locking down in four different positions. The site specific piece was designed to both contrast and work with the rectangular lines of the building behind. Moved out of the Bay Area into the Central Valley. From 1993 to 1996 I was asked to designed many steel Architectural Art Projects for the Architect Joe Costarella. See functional page. In 1999 I answered an add in the local paper to Design and Install exhibitions for The McHenry Museum in Modesto California. Curated several exhibitions of local artist work. Opened up my studio in Banta California in the middle of 1998. Photo of “BirdOldmanModel“ in Architectural Digest in Chicago Collection. Installed first poly-chromed steel sculpture in the homes of collectors in Modesto, Stockton and Tracy. Several burnished kinetic steel sculptures were included in exhibit at McHenry Museum. Had group show with sculptor John Burnett at C.C.A.L. In 2001 started series of torch cut sculpted chairs and sculptures and colored them with dyed lacquer and later enamel paint. Welded and forged functional art garden gate for Leanor and installed in Tracy California. Exhibited chair sculptures at New Leaf Gallery, Berkeley. 2002 Exhibit at Tidewater Gallery in Stockton called “Taking it to the Chair”. Tracy Press article on cover of Entertainment section. “Man of Steel” article, Tracy Press. 2003 "Table Top Totems" exhibit Tide Water Gallery, Stockton CA. 2004 Pennsylvania Museum purchased two steel sculpted chairs and small table through New Leaf Gallery, now in San Francisco 2005 Moved out of Central California and Purchased 4,000 square feet Sculpture facility and Gallery in Gardiner on the Oregon Coast. 2009 Commissioned by City of Tracy Public Art Program in California to create steel mural "Field Spirit".

2003 Introduced davidanthonysculpture.com