“Shifting Focus” by Peter Midgley
“Shifting Focus”
by Peter Midgley
The Tri-County Arts Council Hosts Wellsville Artist Exhibit till March 18th
OLEAN - An opening reception will be held this Saturday for the current Tri-County Arts Council exhibit, "Shifting Focus” by Peter Midgley from Wellsville, which is on display through March 18th. The opening reception is 5:30 to 7:30pm Saturday January 21, at the TCAC building, 110 W. State St., Olean. The event will be catered by Four Mile Brewery.
As an artist, Peter Midgley, came to art through pottery, which hooked him in 1980 with his first ceramics class. Pottery is seemingly so simple - just mix earth, water, and fire – yet it is infinitely complex. His fascination with this medium pulled him through a BA degree from the University of Dallas and then an MFA degree from Ohio University. Peter has been working in clay ever since.
In 1995, Alfred State College gave Peter the opportunity to teach, and he discovered an affinity for that. He is still teaching about Art and Art History there. He started making Ray Guns about 8 years ago, for the sheer fun of it. Peter has always loved Science Fiction, and he has always collected small, cool, retro objects. Suddenly these things connected. The process is refreshing and immediate, without the need to trust a kiln firing at the end.
The Encaustic images are very recent, they sprang up suddenly during the recent pandemic. He supposed teaching Art History for all those years finally opened him up to some new possibilities. The hot wax flows and mixes colors in a semi-controlled way, which to Peter is reminiscent of ceramic glazes during a firing. The major difference is that it happens right in front of you, and it can be controlled in real time. The color interactions are expressive and seem limitless, and the process is both demanding and a genuine pleasure. Regularly switching from pottery to teaching to Steam Punk to expressive color is not always smooth, but this shifting of focus seems to be working, for now.
For more information on this and any other exhibits at the TCAC, visit the web site www.tricountyartscouncil.org or call (716) 372-7455. The Tri Arts Council has updated their Artist Market and we are open to the public Tuesday to Friday 12-6pm and Saturday from 12-5pm at 110 West State St in Olean.