Charlie Ciali

Charlie Ciali received his B.F.A. Degree in Ceramic Arts from Daemen College in 1978, followed by graduate Studies at Edinboro University, Edinboro Pennsylvania, where he studied under renowned ceramicists, Ken Ferguson, Steve Keminify, and Donna Nicholas. During that time his work was shown in many group shows including the Albright Knox Museum, Buffalo New York and won entry into the Super Mud exhibit at Pennsylvania State University.

Following Graduate School he became a flight attendant for a major airline of which he still is employed. Living in Minneapolis for over two decades he worked as the Assistant Director for MC Fine Arts Gallery which was considered one of the leading galleries in Minnesota. After five years with MC Gallery he opened his own gallery called "Perspectives" which specialized in glass and ceramic sculpture. Perspectives Gallery earned national recognition in several trade magazines and was named "Best of the Twin Cities" for art galleries in its first year. The Gallery was invited to participate in a visiting Gallery Exhibit at the Tokyo Exhibition Center in 1995.

In 2002 he moved to Palm Springs with his partner and began doing commissioned abstract portrait work. Considering himself a mixed media artist, he continues to explore the possibilities of different mediums and how they work with each other.

Today Charlie Ciali’s work includes monotype prints, paintings and mixed media work. Monotype Prints are prints pulled form a painting; in this case with oil-based ink, which has been painted on a plexi-glass plate, only one impression is made. Chine Collé is a method of adhering thin pieces of paper to the larger printing paper at the same time that the inked image is printed or transferred from the plate. Images are printed on Archers 88 and other archival papers. The difficulty in this method of work is that the artists is working in reverse of the final print in addition to working with out the chine collé image in place while the plate is being inked or painted. This method of working requires a great amount of control and vision.

Charlie Ciali has served as a Palm Springs City Commissioner on the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Palm Springs Public Arts Commission. Cunrrently serving on the Board of Governors for the Palm Spring Art Museum’s Artist Council and on the Board of Directors for the Palm Springs High School Arts Institute where he mentors a high school student in his studio and teaches private printmaking sessions. In addition he has been an invited instructor of printmaking at the Palm Springs Art Museum and does freelance interior design work.

The artists explores the possibilities of working with monotype prints as works on paper or adhered to board and then coated with many coats of resin, each coat allows the artist to apply more detail to the work creating great depth. In this body of work the artist explores the idea that a letter or number may have the same meaning to the viewer as a toaster or a boat. The multi layers seen within the monotype allows the viewer to peer deeper into their own consciousness finding hidden images and references that bring questions and answers at the same time. The work is inspired by abandoned billboards and graffiti that explore the human connection that we all share with known imagery but yet see it in different contexts.

The influence of artists such as: James Rosenquist, Richard Diebenkorn, Mark Rothko and Robert Rauschenberg are easily recognizable.

In September 2005, his work was accepted in the archives of the Tom of Finland Foundation in Los Angeles California. Recently Charlie Ciali’s work has also been part of the Palm Springs Artists Council Exhibition and the National Exhibition at the Desert Museum as well as shows at the Desert Pride Center Palm Springs, Modern Masters Gallery Palm Desert and Mondo Gallery Palm Springs