Jim Butler, Compendium 1 — For French Doors (Detail), 2009. Glass, H 48, W 96 in.
With an opening this Sunday afternoon, the “See Through” exhibition on view at the Islip Art Museum in East Islip, New York, will run through January 24th, 2010. This regional museum halfway between New York City and the Hamptons on Long Island has a reputation for putting on provocative exhibitions that often challenge preconceptions about material, and this exhibition curated by senior curator Karen Shaw and featuring several works in glass is no exception.
Glass is but one of several materials used in artworks that feature transparency as a major element. “We expanded it to include different types of transparencies, as well as representations of transparency,” museum director Mary Lou Cohalan told GLASS in a telephone interview. “For example, there is a very large painting of a coil of barbed wire that is an exercise in seeing through.”
In addition to work in plastic, yarn, and paint, there are also several works by artists who work primarily in glass such as Hank Adams, Christina Bothwell, Karen La Monte, Beth Lipman, and Marc Petrovic. Cohalan said she was very happy to show Lipman’s work again because the artist had one of her early exhibitions at the museum more than a decade ago.
Beth Lipman, Peach and Tulip Centerpiece, 2007. Glass. H 17, W 13, D 13 in.
“About 13 years ago, we had an open invitational for struggling artsits,” says Cohalan. “The theme was ‘Under the Influence,’ and it featured work by artists who look to the past for inspiration. Beth’s work was this great tableau referencing Dutch still life painting, and she was just starting out then. It’s a very uplifting story considering all of her success since then.”
IF YOU GO:
“See Through” Through January 24, 2010 (Opening Sunday, December 6th, 2 PM – 4 PM)50 Irish Lane East Islip, New York 11730 Telephone: 631-224-5402 Website: www.islipartmuseum.org