Joseph Cavalieri at work in the studio.
GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet: What are you working on?
Joseph Cavalieri: Currently I’m working on three projects: A commission named “Earth Cross,” organizing a two-month residency at the Sacatar Foundation in Bahia, Brazil, as well as finishing a commission named “Chicken Girl.”
The “Earth Cross” commission was a real challenge. I visited the clients home for the initial interview, only to have them greet me at the front door to tell me their apartment is “early college dorm,” and that my work will be the first serious art in their collection. After discussing the art they love I presented three sketches of which they chose “Earth Cross.” Just started cutting and painting glass for this piece.
I’m also working on organizing an upcoming two month residency at the Sacatar Foundation in Bahia, Brazil. Along with making a permanent instillation I’ll be teaching the local low-income community how to produce artisanal stained glass, hoping to start a business selling glass souvenirs to tourists. I’m working on the design of the products, and researching grants to get a small kiln donated to the foundation.
Joseph Cavalieri, Chicken Girl, 2010.
My other project “Chicken Girl” is the sixth of my “Cavalieri & Crumb” pieces I have made featuring the illustrations from the animation cult hero R. Crumb. It is a detail of one of Crumb’s 1970 comic illustrations (you can see “Love Story on the movie marquee on the right). When I asked Mr. Crumb for permission to use his imagery, I told him I would translate his pen-and-ink on paper to enamel on glass as closely as possible to the original illustration. He agreed to this and how the final piece is four layers of painted stained glass which is set into a light box. The next step is to install this piece into a metal frame and add LED lights to illuminate it.
GLASS: What have you seen lately that inspires you?
Joseph: Currently my favorite art exhibition is the Ben Rubin instillation at the Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery in Chelsea, here in New York. Also, “Graphic Radicals: 30 Years of World War 3 Illustrated” is showing at the Exit Art gallery in New York. Art’s not Dead is a favorite website of mine which features military-propaganda-posters.
Joseph: New work can be seen at SOFA New York, this April 13 – 17, 2011, with the Duane Reed Gallery. I also currently have work at the Keith Rowe Gallery in Blackheath, Australia, and at my studio in the East Village. There are also permanent installations you can stop by anytime in New York, including a MTA instillation at the Philipse Manor Station, along the Hudson River in New York, as well as the Dixon Place theater in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Sanskriti Kendra (Delhi, India) and North Lands Creative Glass, in Scotland have also permanent installations of my work. Tell the folks at North Lands you have permission to see my work in the men’s room.
Jospeh Cavalieri, Jesus Mood Box, 2010.