Charles Lahti comes from Kansas and Michigan families. His official art training began at the University of Minnesota, where he obtained a degree in studio arts with a major in printmaking and painting. His mentors included Mary Abbott, who was and is at the forefront of abstract expressionism, as well as Zigmunds Preide, who worked as a master printer and collaborated with artists Barnett Newman, Lee Bontecou, Jasper Johns, Marisol, and Robert Rauschenberg (on what are arguably among the best prints ever produced in America.)
Before graduation Lahti was already offered a job in New York to work as a master printer at Styria Studios. Lahti went on to edition works by Robert Rauschenberg, Le Roy Nieman and others. He also joined the world of performance and multimedia installation, working with Trisha Brown and Robert Rauschenberg for the world premiere in Minneapolis of Glacial Decoy (a work that will be re-staged at the Brooklyn Academy of Music).
He also participated in Nan Goldin's first public showing of The Ballad of Sexual Dependency that was subsequently presented at the Whitney Biennial and more recently during the fall season of MOMA's recent acquisitions. He also helped organize or collaborated in multimedia performances for corporate culture, taking part in works staged from Bali to South Africa, Egypt, and all over Europe, the United States, and Australia.
Charles maintains an active printmaking and painting career; he has exhibited at venues including White Columns, Thread Waxing Space, The New Museum, and numerous East Village and SOHO galleries, such as Curt Marcus. Works were also featured at The Swatch Time Ship Gallery on 57th street. His work is part of well known collections in Europe and America. His paintings were used in the Woody Allen film Mighty Aphrodite. Lahti continues to maintain an active studio in the Williamsburg district of Brooklyn.
"For many years, (to refer to a certain famous movie based in Kansas), I've seen myself as the man behind the green curtain ... today we must pull the curtain down and step out to reveal and risk our true selves to the world."
