Fred Yokel

Overview
Fred Yokel

Fred Yokel has been working in clay for over three decades. All of his pieces are one-of-a-kind, made by hand using a derivation of the coil method. His ideas come from many places, but primarily from watching humans in everyday situations. He gets inspiration from sports, yoga, dance and sitting on a bench watching people walk by. He sketches his figures and invents titles that could go with them to explain their predicament. The process is very similar to photography but in a 3-D version. The artist is trying to capture that one instance that will let the viewer see and feel the story and emotion surrounding the subject. His art is a humorous take on the human condition.

 

Fred Yokel studied at SJSU, where he concentrated his studies in ceramics under James Lovera, Robert Fritz and Herbert Sanders, with some influences from David Middlebrook. After graduating with a BA in Ceramics, he became a production potter for several years at two Bay Area pottery houses. Production pottery was educational, but he got more pleasure out of designing and building one-of-a-kind pieces and exploring raku surfaces and organic looking textures. He decided to go back to school at California Institute of the Arts, where he received his MFA in Design/Advertising.

Works
Gallery Exhibitions
CV
Fred Yokel

EDUCATION

1982    MFA in Design and Advertising, California Institute of the Arts, CA

1977    BA in Ceramics, San Jose State University, CA

 

EXHIBITIONS

2021   

Haute Sculpture, Studio Shop Gallery, Burlingame, CA

2019   

Clay from ACGA, Epperson Gallery, Honorable Mention

2018   

Material Evidence, Contemporary Sculpture,

Studio Shop Gallery, Burlingame, CA

2016   

Biomorphic, AMOCA,  Pomona, CA

Atherton Fall Art Exhibit, Atherton, CA

Go Figure, Black Bean Ceramic Studio, San Jose, CA

MAC 13th Annual Ceramics Invitational, McGroarty Arts Center, Tujunga, CA

Teatime, Pence Gallery, Davis, CA

Capturing Moments of Motion, Moraga Art Gallery, Moraga, CA

Cone Box Show,  OH

2015   

Ink & Clay 41, Kellog Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA

2nd Annual Teapot Show, Alpha Fired Arts Gallery, Sacramento, CA

2014   

Big Ideas, Sebastopol Art Center (Best of Show), Sebastopol, CA

California Clay Competition (2 Awards), Davis, CA

2013   

12 x 12, Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz, CA

Emotion in Motion, SMAART Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Figuratively Speaking, SMAART Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2012   

Ahhh - Silica, Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA

What Is A Rabbit?, John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA

RAC Members Exhibition,    Richmond, CA

Focus on the Figure, Pence Gallery, Davis, CA

Anima, The Gallery, Palo Alto, CA

Good Company, Petaluma Arts Center, Petaluma, CA

West Coast Mud Slingers, Brand Library, Glendale, CA

2011   

Feats of Clay, Lincoln, CA

Cone Box Show, Tampa, FL

ACGA - Clay & Glass Nat’l Juried Competition, City of Brea Gallery, Brea, CA

Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, CA

2010   

ACGA Exhibition, Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA

“Go Figure” National Show, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA

2009   

Solo Show, Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA

California Clay Competition, Davis, CA

ACGA at PARC (Palo Alto Research Center), Palo Alto, CA

25th Annual Open Juried Show, Los Gatos Art Association, Los Gatos, CA

2008   

California Clay Competition, Davis, CA

3rd Annual Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA

Quintessential Clay, Kellog Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA

2007   

Figuratively Speaking - Group Show, Art Object Gallery, San Jose, CA

Sextuplets - Group Show, Couturier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

CCACA, West Valley College, Davis, CA

 2nd Annual Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA

2006   

Mixed Media, Cabrillo College, Soquel, CA

1st Annual Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA

2004   

Clay Bodies Figurative Show, CCACA, Davis, CA

2003   

ACGA at the Oakland Museum Collector’s Gallery, Oakland, CA

Teapot 14 Show, Gallery Alexander, La Jolla, CA

Figurative Work in Clay & Glass, Gallery Alexander, La Jolla, CA

2002   

Clay and Wood Exhibition, Burbank, CA

SOFA - New York, Gallery 500, New York, NY

2001   

SOFA - Chicago, Gallery 500, Chicago, IL

Spatial Odyssey, Clay & Glass Show, Hayward, CA

2000   

Poetry in Clay and Glass, Triton Museum, Santa Clara, CA

 

PUBLICATIONS

2018    Craft Arts International, Neutral Bay, NSW Australia, Issue #78,  

           Kevin Wallace from the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts

2004   500 Figures in Clay by Lark Books (cover)

           The Sculpture Reference by Arthur Williams

2003   California Home and Design

           Ceramics Monthly, Feature Article & Photos

2002   Ceramics Monthly

2001   Ceramics Monthly

 

AWARDS

2019    Honorable Mention, Epperson Gallery Clay from ACGA Crockett, CA

2014    Best of Show Award, Big Ideas, Sebastopol Art Center Sebastopol, CA

2014    People’s Choice & Laguna Award, California Clay Competition Davis, CA

2009   Bill Cunningham Award - Los Gatos Art Museum Open Juried Show, Los Gatos, CA

2008   Leslie Ceramics Award - California Clay Competition Davis, CA