David Bacharach

Bacharach is a self-taught metalsmith and an accomplished blacksmith whose baskets of interlaced copper and brass are both rich in color and texture. Prior to weaving basket forms, the artist made kitchen and hearth utensils with an agitated Baroque flair.He began weaving in 1975 while confined to bed with a bout of the flu. The artist is interested in archeology and anthrolpology and says, "The older and more crusty my pieces look, the better I like them." His first baskets were created for a new civilization he imagined. Form and surface treatment are equally important to the artist. Some of his inspiration comes from studying Chinese bronze vessels and porcelains at the Freer Gallery in Washington, D.C. The artist exposes his baskets to repeated applications of chemicals over a long period of time to achieve his colorful results. To control areas that are affected, he will coat with shellac or wax. The artist feels his technique and finished pieces are simply a twentieth century interpretation of traditional black smithing techniques.(http://www.bacharachmetals.com/studio.htm 4-16-08)Teaching and LecturingDavid Paul Bacharach devotes a good part of his time to teaching a new generation of artists his unique metal weaving techniques. He is regularly invited to teach at schools with tradition in metalsmithing.Visiting Instructor - Arrowmont School, Gatlinburg, TNArtist in Residence - Art Park, Lewiston, NYVisiting Instructor - Peter's Valley Craft School, Layton, NJlnstructor - Metals Department, Maryland lnstitute College of Art, Baltimore, MDVisiting Artist - Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, MECollections:The White House, Washington, DC American Embassy, Singapore U.S. Department of the Treasury, New Carollton, MD Fidelity Investments, Boston, MA Monsanto Corporation, Washington, DC GTE Telephone Operations, Irving, TX Women's and Children's Hospital, Boston, MA Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA American Craft Museum, New York, NY Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA Arkansas Arts Center Museum, Little Rock, AR Peter's Valley Craft Education Center, Layton, NJ Copper Ridge, Inc. Center, Sykesville, MD Southern Progress Corporation, Birmingham, ALSolo Exhibitions2002 Grannis Gallery, Burlington, VT1999 Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Baltimore, MD1999 Grannis Gallery, Burlington, VT1998 America House Gallery, Piermont, NY 1998 Nancy Sachs Gallery, St. Louis, MO1995 Piedmont Craftsmen, Winston-Salem, NC 1994 Worth Gallery, Taos, NM 1993 Agostino Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 1992 Worth Gallery, Taos, NM 1991 Zimmerman Saturn Gallery, Nashville, TN1990 Gallery 500, Elkins Park, PA 1988 University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA 1987 Jurus Gallery, Baltimore, MD1986 Signature Gallery, Boston, MA 1985 Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN 1985 Signature Gallery, Boston, MA 1983 Human Arts, Dallas, TX 1983 Incorporated Gallery, New York, NY 1982 Handcrafters Gallery, Portland, ME1981 Ten Arrow Gallery, Cambridge, MA 1979 Jurus Gallery, Baltimore, MD Group Exhibitions2004 "Woven Metal" at the Grounds For Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ2003-04 "The Art of Craft", touring exhibition of the Susquehanna Art Museum2003 "Two Capitals", exhibition of Maryland Jewelers and Metalsmiths, touring museums in Russia2002 "9-11: Artists Respond", American Craft Museum, New York , NY2001 "Once Upon A Time: Artists Examine Fairy Tales, Legends And Myths"Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Racine, WI2001 "American Craft Odyssey: James Renwick Alliance, Washington, DC1999 "The End is Near-Artists Look at the 20th Century", Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Racine, WI1999 "Southeastern Basket Invitational", Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC1998 "Faculty Show", Sandra J. Blain Gallery, Arrowmont School of Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN 1998 "Dress Up!", Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Racine, WI 1997 "2nd Annual Best in America", Stones Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1997 "L’Chaim, A Kiddush Cup Invitational", Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA1996 "Functional Metal", Virginia Breier Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1995 "Light Interpretations", Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA 1995 "The Commemorative Cup", National Ornamental Metal Museum, Memphis, TN 1995 "Let’s Play House", Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Racine, WI 1994 "Born with a Silver Spoon", Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC1994 Crafts Council of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland 1993 "The Tea Party", American Craft Museum, New York, NY 1991 "Figurative Abstraction", Reading Art Museum, Reading, CA 1991 "Silver: New Forms and Expressions", Fortunoff, New York, NY 1991 National Ornamental Museum, Memphis, TN 1989 "The American Vessel", Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA 1989 "Ateliers d’Art", Paris, France 1989 "American Crafts /Messe Frankfort 1989", Frankfort, Germany 1988 "Focus: American Baskets", Katie Gingrass Gallery, Santa Fe, NM 1988 "Objects in Metal", Elizabeth Fortner Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA 1988 Zoller Gallery of the Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 1988 "Contemporary Artifacts", National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia, PA 1987 "Interlacing", American Craft Museum, New York, NY1983 "@Crafts USA", Kjarvaisstadir Museum, Reykjavik, Iceland 1983 "Modern Metalsmithing", University of Rochester Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY In the media about David Paul BacharachDavid Paul Bacharach and his unique art have gained the attention of the national media and the art community. He has been featured in HGTV's "Modern Masters" as well as in such prominent publications as the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune and the Baltimore Sun. He has also been featured in publications of interest to collectors and artists. A partial list includes: "Modern Masters", HGTV October 2003, September 2004 "Baskets - A Book for Makers and Collectors" by Billie Ruth Sudduth, Hand Books Press, 1999 "Textile Techniques in Metal" by Arline Fisch, Altamont Press, 1996 "Depths of Character" by Katherine Pearson, Southern Accents (cover article), 1988 "Interlacing" by Jack Lanor Larsen, Kodansha, 1986 "Weaving in Metal" by Deborah Norton, Metalsmith (cover article), 1985 "American Crafts - A Source Book for the Home" by Katherine Pearson, 1983