John Van Alstine

American sculptor, born 1952

BiographyA native of upstate New York, John Van Alstine received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Cornell University in 1976. He taught briefly at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, and later at the University of Maryland, College Park before leaving teaching in 1987 to establish his studio in the Adirondacks.

Van Alstine creates sculptures that unite natural substances with human-made materials. In his own words, “found objects with their individual histories and associations are plucked from one context and combined with others, creating new things.” While living out West in the 1970s, he was inspired by the mighty expanses he viewed—the mountains, canyons, and natural arches—and it made a lasting impact on his work.

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