Carolyn Baum, Eternal Bloom, 2013. Flameworked soft glass, wire, fieldstone. H 12, W 12, D 10.
The exhibition “Lifeforms“ was originally conceived of as part of the 2013 Glass Art Society Conference in Boston. After the event was cancelled, this homage to the The Rudolph and Leopold Blaschka Glass Flowers at Harvard University was moved to the Pittsburgh Glass Center, where it opens this evening. Over 100 artists from the U.S., Scotland, Italy, Japan, Australia, England and Canada answered the call from Robert Mickelsen to create work that aspires to the Blaschkas’ level of accuracy, and the top 50 will be on display through November 17, 2013 in Pittsburgh.
Beau Tsai, Common Kingfisher, 2013. Flameworked borosilicate glass, sculpted and blown. H 11 1/2, W 9, D 7 in.
“The representation of natural forms has been a tradition in glass for as long as humans have worked the material,” says Mickelsen in a prepared statement. “No one has ever succeeded in such accurate and realistic representation as the Blaschkas. This may be because no one has been tasked with the challenge the way the Blaschkas were – until now.”
Victor Trabucco, Midnight Orchid, 2012. Lampworked soft glass, fused and cold worked. H 13, W 6, D 3 in.
Even as an increasing number of glass artists have moved into conceptual territory, and earlier generations embraced abstraction, figurative glass sculpture continues to have a wide number of practitioners as the sizeable number of submissions attests. A jury has selected three winners in each of three categories, which will receive the following honors: Award of Excellence, $1,000; Award of Achievement, $500; Award of Merit, $200. The jury has also winnowed down the 50 on display in Pittsburgh from the total number submitted.
This evening, winners of the awards were announced. Results can be seen below:
“The original idea of the competition was paired with the Glass Art Society’s conference in Boston/Cambridge where attendees could view the Blaschkas’ glass models of plants and invertebrates on permanent exhibition at the Harvard Museums of Natural History” says Susan Rossi-Wilcox, former curator of Harvard’s Glass Flowers in a prepared statement. “Although ‘Lifeforms’ has taken a different direction, the work on exhibition at PGC will offer that same enthusiastic love of nature that the Blaschkas held.”
IF YOU GO:
“Lifeforms”Through November 17, 2013Pittsburgh Glass Center5472 Penn AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15206Website: www.pittsburghglasscenter.org