stateofglass

It was a glass hall decorated with Persian Flowers that first initiated me into the colourful world of Dale Chihuly's art back in 1998. So of course I could not resist this Persian set at V&A. 

What about the museum label?

Originally reminiscent of the tiny core-formed bottles of ancient Egypt and Persia, the 'Persians' series was begun in 1985. Since then Chihuly has developed the series into a range of different shapes, the outer ones often of enormous size.

Information panel.

Dale Chihuly (born 1941)

Deep Blue and Bronze Persian Set

1999

USA (Seattle)

I have always admired the glass sculptures of the Libenskys for their meditative quality and would classify their work as art for the intellectuals. This is why I agree wholeheartedly to the below label text from V&A:

'Glass allows us to create a harmony between shapes and penetrating light, and thus to define the essence of light-space and to touch the secrets of this inner space'. The present pre-eminence of Czech cast glass can largely be attributed to this husband-and-wife team. The Libenskys are among the few really major figures in modern glassmaking.

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Stanislas Libensky (1921-2002) and Jaroslava Brychtova (born 1924)

Arcus 1

1991

Czech Republic (probably Pelechov glassworks)

The label accompanying each artwork in V&A's Glass Collection is highly descriptive and often illuminating. A fine example is this text for Zynsky's multi-coloured, filet de verre vessel:

'It's really like painting', says Zynsky. 'It's an identical thought process - the way you build up a painting or drawing. Then the other layers go on, really to hold together, so it's actually about 30 layers of thread. They are very solid, they look more fragile than they are.'

Information panel.

Toots Zynsky (born 1951)

Dondolante Serena

2000

USA (Providence, RI)

Venice is a maze of endless bridges and piazza and getting lost in the city is part of the fun.

This beautifully-coloured chandelier caught my eyes when I was searching for the alley that would lead me to Rialto. Unfortunately, I was in a rush for lunch and regretted not taking down the address of the shop.

(Re)Visiting some of my favourite glass shops in Venice.

From top to bottom:

Tobia Scarpa's Occhi (Venini)

Lucio Bubacco's Erotic (Pauly & C CVM)

Dusciana Bravura's Parrot (Berengo Studio)

A giant red squirrel dominates the exhibition space at Marta Klonowska's latest show in Venice. But let's not forget the forest-green, long-tailed monkey who looks ready to jump at the slightest noise.

Meekyoung Shin wrote in Stylist magazine that she was inspired to create a collection of soap vases "with a glass effect" after seeing some Parisian glass vases at Tate Britain,

By making a glass version of her soap copy of a glass vase, Shin effectively introduced a twist to her original concept of manufacturing images of permanence/luxury using transient/cheap material. Rather witty, I would say.

Ghost Series (2013)

Information on this exhibition.

Glasstress London

The Wallace Collection, London

I was quick to assume that this was art with a political message. However in his website, Hew Locke wrote: 

"The fragility of the glass suggests the fragility of real-life child soldiers. Venice is full of images of 'Blackamoors', from Renaissance and Medieval carvings on tombs, to the kitsch carvings and glass figurines of today's window displays." (X)

Not quite the artist's statement I was expecting but an impressive sculpture nevertheless.

Information panel.

Mummy's Little Soldier (2013)

90 x 30 x 35 cm

Glass and metal chain

Information on this exhibition.

Glasstress London

The Wallace Collection, London

A pair of fantastical yet minimalistic blooms from Dale Chihuly's Ikebana series.

Prism Violet Ikebana with Rose Frog Foot Stems (2013)

Information on this exhibition.

Dale Chihuly: Beyond the Object

144-146 New Bond Street, London

Artworks in Dale Chihuly's Fiori series have the most imaginative titles, hands down. Here, I present you: Fiori, Marlins and Cattails!

From top to bottom:

Tiger Marlin Fiori (2013)

Saxony Blue Marlins (2013)

Siderin Orange Cattails (2013)

Information on this exhibition.

Dale Chihuly: Beyond the Object

144-146 New Bond Street, London

Dale Chihuly's Chandeliers looking dramatic and imposing when paired with a bed of Flori or Reeds. I would say it is a clever study of the interplay between the different series.

Top: Citron Chandelier with Lime Green Fiori (2013)

Bottom: Aero Blue Chandelier with Cerise Pink Reeds (2013)

Information on this exhibition.

Dale Chihuly: Beyond the Object

144-146 New Bond Street, London

Whimsical lights from the venerable glass factory Venini and design duo Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel.

Information panel.

Mae West (2010)

Blown glass, brass and bulbs

Information on this exhibition.

Collection d'Art Verrier Contemporain

This special "boat" from Bertil Vallien looks like a space relic, with the rusty metal inclusions and the high-tech patterns on the underside.

With no explanatory text from Mudac, I can only guess from the title that the artwork is inspired by the space mission CHEOPS: a Swiss/European satellite planned for the study of extrasolar planets.

Information panel.

Cheops Travel (2011)

Cast glass with inclusions

Information on this exhibition.

Collection d’Art Verrier Contemporain

Monumental sculptures by the celebrated Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová at Musée de Design et d’Arts Appliqués Contemporains, Lausanne.

Top: Arcus II (1990-91)

Bottom: Têtes en Croix (1991-92)

Information on this exhibition.

Collection d'Art Verrier Contemporain

Step 1: Cut open the box flaps.

Step 2: Put aside the foam board and retrieve receipt.

Step 3: Remove the layer of foam pellets and open the Venini presentation box.

Step 4: Set aside the straw padding and retrieve certificate of authenticity.

Step 5: Unwrap the brown paper strips and voilà!

A close-up shot:

The idea that a human form can be easily identifiable by so few body parts is an interesting one. It is also worthwhile to note that in this series, the body parts are all casted from the artist's body (x).

Also, see previous post "Quinn At Tate Liverpool: Morphology" here.

Information panel.

The Genesis of Morphology #33 (1996)

Glass and silver

Information on this exhibition.

Marc Quinn

Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice

Dale Chihuly's Tower sculptures are precious because they are typically large installations that can only be fully appreciated on-site. It is therefore exciting to see an Icicle Tower for the first time at Halcyon Gallery. 

Personally, I think it is a brilliant idea to pair the Icicle Tower with a Spire Chandelier.

Top: Cranberry Spire Chandelier (2013)

Bottom: Amethyst Icicle Tower (2013)

Information on this exhibition.

Dale Chihuly: Beyond the Object

144-146 New Bond Street, London