Glassen Wonders

GLASSEN WONDERS FEATURING IMPORTANT WORKS FROM THE ARNOLD AND DORIS ROLAND COLLECTION

FEATURED ARTISTS

Luigi Benzoni Alex Bernstein Latchezar Boyadjiev Peter Bremers Stanislav Libenský & Jaroslava Brychtová Emma Camden Matthew Curtis William Glasner John Kiley Steve Klein Lucy Lyon Jaroslav Matouš Charles Miner Greg Owen Brian Russell Raquel Stolarski-Assael Daniela Turrin Veruska Vagen Carmen Vetter Petr Vlček Eva Vlčková Hiroshi Yamano Brent Kee Young

Glassen Wonders Celebrating the Luminosity and Diversity of Color and Form in International Glass Art January 5 - February 17, 2024

The myriad expressive possibilities and broad variety of techniques of contemporary glass art make this a versatile form unlike any other medium. Artists from around the world are pushing the boundaries of glass, working with this material in varied, incredible ways. Not only do these artists speak to the materiality of the work, but they also show the unique and elegant intellectual, conceptional, and expressive meanings their artform imparts.

In its largest such exhibition in the more than four decades of representing this category of art, LewAllen Galleries is pleased to present a world-class exhibition of exquisite contemporary glass entitled, Glassen Wonders, which includes a host of internationally recognized artists. The exhibition features significant artworks from the museum-quality collection of Dr. Arnold and Doris Roland, as well as important glass works by other of LewAllen’s esteemed glass artists, several of whom are also included in the Roland collection.

LewAllen has long championed contemporary glass art and is bringing renewed focus to this important area of its contemporary art program. The artists included in the exhibition represent some of the most admired and internationally prominent figures in this medium, including Luigi Benzoni, Alex Bernstein, Latchezar Boyadjiev, Peter Bremers, Stanislav Libenský & Jaroslava Brychtová, Emma Camden, Matthew Curtis, William Glasner, John Kiley, Steve Klein, Lucy Lyon, Jaroslav Matouš, Charles Miner, Greg Owen, Brian Russell, Raquel Stolarski-Assael, Daniela Turrin, Veruska Vagen, Carmen Vetter, Petr Vlček, Eva Vlčková, Hiroshi Yamano, and Brent Kee Young.

Art collectors Dr. Arnold and Doris Roland began assembling their major glass art collection in the early 1990s. Significant art patrons, with homes in California, Arizona, and New Mexico, the Rolands began acquiring works from important glass artists, schools, and studios, first in the Pacific Northwest, then expanding nationally, as well as internationally. They share their passion for studio art glass and are regular contributors to museum glass exhibitions, including a recent show at the New Mexico Museum of Art, The Nature of Glass. LewAllen Galleries is pleased to showcase some of the world-class artists and artworks from their collection in Glassen Wonders.

One of the highlights of the Roland collection is a rare

major work by the late Czech art and life couple, Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová. Working together, they transformed glass into what they called "color in space," developing a unique mold-making technique that was considered revolutionary by European and American glass artists in the 1960s. Libenský painted and sketched the designs, while Brychtová made the clay models and oversaw the casting. Their work became internationally known and collected later in their career, in the 1980s.

In addition to the exemplary work by Libenský and Brychtová, the exhibition also highlights more than fifty works of glass art by well-regarded artists in the field. Latchezar Boyadjiev’s cast glass sculptures evoke the sensual undulations of the female figure or the powerful flow of natural forces. Raquel Stolarski-Assael’s plate and carved glass animals have a unique luminosity that change colors depending on the angle of light reflecting through. Dutch artist Peter Bremer’s kiln-cast glass sculptures are characterized by rich earthhued tones, angular structures, and intricately cut channels.

The exquisitely cast glass figures of Santa Fe artist Lucy Lyon capture gestures and nuances with exceptional subtlety and strength. Matthew Curtis’s dynamic sculptures draw upon an ongoing interest in fragments of architectural or biological forms as described through blown glass, colored oxide, and steel. John Kiley’s blown, carved, and polished glass sculptures examine the relationship between interior and exterior forms and often inhabit the cusp of liminal space, using color and transparency.

LewAllen Galleries champions glass art and the diversity of the form, as artists around the world create works that range from representational, figurative sculptures to undulating, fluid structures to architectural forms.

We are proud to elevate this medium by showing the magnificent ability for glass to radiate and transform light, as well as the expressive possibilities of the form.

Luigi Benzoni Untitled (Gold Face) Cast Glass 12.5 x 8.25 x 6 in

Luigi Benzoni Italian, b. 1956 Luigi Benzoni, born in 1956 in the Province of Bergamo, Italy, is a renowned artist known for his work in painting, glass sculpture, drawing, and etching. After moving to Venice at a young age to study Art History at the Instituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia, he established his business in 1976. His artistic journey began with oil painting but evolved into experimenting with glass, porcelain, and bronze, often combining painting and sculpting skills to create innovative new structures.

Benzoni's notable focus is on human faces, reproduced in various mediums such as porcelain dishes, glass blocks, and bronze.

His distinctive artistry lies in using essential lines to convey unique expressions, creating enigmatic faces with minimal features. The simplicity of his depictions, characterized by abstract expressionism, places his work between the abstract and the concrete.

Gio Ponti and Virgilio Guidi influenced Benzoni and he became enamored with the art of blowing glass, which led to his participation in the Biennale of Venice.

His iconic series of faces called, Byzantine Heads, are created by a method he invented which includes a combination of transparent and colored glass as well as gold leaf.

Benzoni's works, showcased globally, demonstrate a fusion of simplicity and decisive determination, akin to a Japanese calligraphist seeking the ultimate balance of power and energy. His recent creations include exquisite Murano glass sculptures, showcasing his mastery across multiple artistic mediums.

Alex Bernstein American, b. 1972 Alex Bernstein was the son of glass artists William and Katherine Bernstein and grew up surrounded by art in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. He began his artistic journey at an early age, influenced by leading glass artists of the 1970s and 1980s such as Harvey Littleton and Mark Peiser. Initially studying psychology at the University of North Carolina, Bernstein later decided to pursue a career in art.

He earned his Master of Fine Arts from the Rochester Institute of Technology and went on to teach at various institutions, including the Cleveland Institute of Art and The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass.

In 2007, Bernstein returned to North Carolina to establish a private studio in Asheville. His main artistic process involves a unique glass casting technique, with a focus on highlighting organic forms. He carves and polishes his glass to create unique narrative landscapes that mirror processes in nature. His work is found in major private and public collections, including the Corning Museum of Art, Glasmuseum Frauenau in Germany, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Alex Bernstein Spring Window Cast & cut glass 20 x 11 x 5 in

Alex Bernstein Green Drop Revisited Cast & cut glass 34 x 11 x 5 in

Latchezar Boyadjiev Emotion, 2005 Cast Glass 27 x 21 x 4 in

Latchezar Boyadjiev Bulgarian, b. 1959 The glass forms of Latchezar Boyadjiev balance the tangible and the intangible.

Evoking the sensual undulations of the female figure and the powerful flow of natural forces, his works are composed in fluid, fragmented planes of color marked by fine shifts in depth, tone, and translucency. He works monochromatically and uses rich color and light to describe the sweeping contours of the glass as it reflects and refracts through luminous golden yellows, icy blues, and woozy magentas.

Boyadjiev was raised in Sofia, Bulgaria, where he attended the Ceramics Department of the Academy of Applied Arts. In 1985, he was admitted to the prestigious Academy of Applied Arts in Prague and studied under renowned glass sculptor Stanislav Libenský.

After graduating from the Academy, Boyadjiev defected to the United States and settled in

California. He then worked for more than ten years in the field of optical glass, using cold working techniques such as cutting, grinding, polishing, and laminating. In 1997, Boyadjiev shifted his attention away from optical glass and towards the radiant, monochromatic cast glass sculpture that he became even better known for. His art now resides in numerous international public and private collections, including the White House Art Collection.

Latchezar Boyadjiev Enjoyment, 2007 Cast Glass 36 x 25 x 5 in

Latchezar Boyadjiev Torso XI, 2015 Cast Glass 36 x 22 x 6 in

Latchezar Boyadjiev Harmony, 2019 Cast Glass 20 x 78 x 5 in

Peter Bremers Dutch, b. 1957 Peter Bremers employs the experience of travel as the foundation for his internationally recognized glass sculptures.

His works are inspired by diverse landscapes such as the icebergs and floes of the Antarctic and the canyons and deserts of the Southwest. Using gestures of the hand to approximate the visual effects of melting, erosion, and stratification, he creates a dynamic contrast between human and geologic time through his sculptures.

Bremers was born in 1957 in Maastricht, the Netherlands, where he studied sculpture at the University of Fine Arts from 1976 to 1980 and three-dimensional design at the Jan van Eyck Academie from 1986 to 1988. Searching for suitable ways of realizing his artistic ideas, he at first worked with a wide range of materials, including glass, plastic, steel, and stone.

In 1989, he attended a course given by Lino Tagliapietra at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, but the strongest impetus to turn to glass as his ideal material had come three years earlier, during a workshop held at the Jan van Eyck Academie by the senior Dutch glass artist A.D. Copier (1901-1991). Recognized as one of the world’s leading glass artists, his work is included in the permanent collections of such significant public institutions as the Kunstgewerbe Museum, Berlin; the Boymans van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam; and the Museo de Arte Vidrio Mava, Madrid, among numerous others.

Peter Bremers Brins Mesa (Canyons & Deserts 10-45), 2010 Kiln-cast glass 17 x 13 x 4 in

Peter Bremers Avalanche (Canyons & Deserts 10-50), 2010 Kiln-cast glass 18 x 13 x 5 in

Peter Bremers Chimney Rock (Canyons & Deserts 09-39), 2009 Kiln-cast glass 13 x 6 x 4 in

Peter Bremers Circumscribed Space, 2017 Kiln-cast glass 16.5 x 16.5 x 16.5 in

Peter Bremers Connected Space, 2017 Kiln-cast glass 26 x 14 x 7.5 in

Peter Bremers Endless Red Space, 2019 Kiln-cast glass 9 x 8 x 11 in

Peter Bremers Cosmic Gold Space, 2019 Kiln-cast glass 8.25 x 12 x 8.25 in

Peter Bremers Torso, 2009 Kiln-cast glass 24.50 x 29.50 x 8 in

Peter Bremers Deep Blue Space, 2019 Kiln-cast glass 25.5 x 9 x 7.75 in

Peter Bremers West Fork (Canyons & Deserts 10-52), 2010 Kiln-cast glass 15 x 14 x 8 in

Peter Bremers Wind's Lament, 2014 Kiln-cast glass 19 x 12 x 4 in

Jaroslava Brychtová & Stanislav Libenský Czech, 1924-2020 & 1921-2002 Born on July 18, 1924, to artistic parents, Jaroslava Brychtová followed in their footsteps.

After studying sculpture in Prague, she returned to Železný Brod, a town with a rich glassmaking tradition in north Bohemia. It was there, in the early 1950s, that she met Stanislav Libenský, her future partner in life and art.

Brychtová and Libenský are renowned for their groundbreaking, large-scale glass sculptures. The duo produced a remarkable body of work that transcended traditional glass art, resembling painting, sculpture, and architecture. Their creations, some exceeding 13 tons and 14 feet in height, incorporated negative space to allow light penetration, merging art and science through colored glass and ingenuity.

Working in Communist Czechoslovakia, where artists found refuge in the creation of glass art, Brychtová and Libenský created seminal works underwritten by the state.

Expelled from the Communist Party after the 1968 Soviet-led invasion, they continued producing public works in the Czech Republic, leaving a lasting impact on Czech glass art.

Brychtová, instrumental in translating Libenský's designs into three dimensions, played a crucial role in their creative process. She was in charge of the architectural glass studio in Železný Brod, where they produced work. Libenský painted and sketched the designs, while Brychtová made the clay models and oversaw the casting.

Despite admirers focusing on the massiveness of their sculptures, Brychtová emphasized that the challenge was in the ideas, not the size. The couple's influence extended globally, inspiring a new generation of female glass artists. Jaroslava Brychtová stopped making glass works after her husband's death in 2002.

Stanislav Libenský & Jaroslava Brychtová Green Eye of the Pyramid, 1993-2007 Cast, cut & polished glass 34.50 x 40 x 10 in

Emma Camden British, b. 1966 Emma Camden, born in Southsea, England, in 1966, is of English-New Zealand descent.

She graduated from the Southampton Institute of Education in 1985 and earned a Bachelor in Glass and Ceramics from Sunderland Polytechnic in 1990.

After completing her education, Camden relocated to Auckland, New Zealand in 1991, where she took on a role as a stained-glass tutor at Carrington Polytechnic. Camden is a prominent figure in New Zealand's studio glass art scene, working with the lost wax cast glass method, a laborious process that produces a unique sheen.

Camden’s work delves into solid forms, exploring concepts of structure and architecture. One notable sculpture investigates the pyramid shape and incorporates elements of ancient Egyptian beliefs, where light shafts within the pyramid symbolize the escape of the soul after death. Using simple abstract forms, Camden skillfully carves an optic passageway, creating a distinctive separation of space, inviting viewers to peer into and through the sculpture.

Emma Camden Untitled Cast glass 36 x 8 x 8 in

Emma Camden Shaft I Cast glass 20 x 17 x 10 in

Matthew Curtis Amber Increment Blown glass, cast aluminum, stainless steel 33.75 x 19.50 x 19.50 in

Matthew Curtis British, b. 1964 Matthew Curtis’ masterful glass sculptures are imbued with interlocking networks of rhythm, harmony, and shining color. Drawing upon a fascination with both architectural and biological forms, the Australia-based glass artist conjures exquisitely crafted geometric forms from glass, colored oxide, and steel.

In creating his complex works, Curtis draws our attention to the elemental details of the settings that surround us: the organic within the architectural and the patterned order hidden within the natural world. His dynamic sculptures play with texture and transparency in layers of cascading, radiant colors, referencing the built world through the material language of steel and blown glass.

Upon close inspection, each finely considered element is similar but not identical to the next, revealing Curtis’ careful articulation of form through lyrical curve and contour.

Born in Luton, England, in 1964, Curtis moved to Australia in 1981. He began as a glassmaker in 1991, assisting Robert Wynne at Denizen Glass while simultaneously developing his own artistic voice. His work has been included in many private and public collections including the Saxe collection at the De Young Museum, San Francisco, CA; the Ernsting Stifting Museum, Coesfeld, Germany; the National Glass Collection, Wagga Wagga, Australia; and the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia.

Matthew Curtis Xylem n.d.

Blown & fused glass, stainless steel 32 x 20 x 5.5 in

Matthew Curtis Diatom, 2014 Cast and blown vaseline glass carved 19 x 12 x 4 in

Matthew Curtis Periphery Red and Grey, 2021 Blown & constructed tinted furnace glass 21 x 12.5 x 4 in

Matthew Curtis Red Tracks #46 (Red Window Series), 2001 Blown glass 24 x 8.25 x 6 in

Matthew Curtis Section Pair Neo Blue Olive Gold, 2018 Blown & fused glass, stainless steel 13.5 x 35 x 7 in

Matthew Curtis Teal Increment, 2018 Pressed & polished tinted glass & stainless steel 15 x 51 x 15 in

William Glasner American, b. 1947 Renowned glass artist William Glasner has been immersed in the world of glass since 1973, crafting his exceptional pieces with a wealth of experience. He holds a B.A. degree from the University of Rochester and further honed his skills through studies with master glass artists such as Lino Tagliapietra, Stephen Dee Edwards, and Gianni Toso. After and apprenticeship at the Rochester Folk Art Guild Glass Studio, Glasner established his own studio, Nashama Glass Studio in New England in 1978. As a master glass artist, he specializes in creating original leaf appliqué designs featured in vases, bowls, and perfume vials. He also creates hand-carved works using traditional cut-glass techniques and acid etching.

Glasner's artistry has earned him recognition, including features in notable publications like The New York Times and American Craft Magazine, as well as inclusion in influential books such as Glass: State of the Art (1984) and New Glass: A Worldwide Survey. His works are proudly housed in esteemed permanent collections, including those of the Corning Museum of Glass, Denmark's GlasMuseum, the International Collection of Modern Glass, and the University Of Michigan Museum Of Art.

William Glasner Untitled Blown & carved glass 21.50 x 24 x 6 in

John Kiley Solstice Halo, 2016 Blown, carved & polished glass 15.28 x 13.75 x 13 in

John Kiley American, b. 1973 Recognized for the exceptional formal refinement of his blown, carved, and polished glass sculptures, John Kiley has earned many of glass art’s most esteemed distinctions since his career’s inception at age 19. Trained at the Pilchuck Glass School and the Penland School of Crafts, Kiley worked for Dale Chihuly’s studio at the age of 20 before winning an apprenticeship with both Dante Marioni and Benjamin Moore.

Additionally, he has traveled as a principal team member with Lino Tagliapietra for more than fifteen years. One of the most exciting glass sculptors working today, Kiley updates and extends the lineage of these foremost innovators. His pieces examine the relationship between interior and exterior forms, often diluting the boundary between the two to inhabit the cusp of liminal space.

His sharp eye for both color and transparency allows him to create surfaces that blur gradients between hues—cutting spheres and dying segments to poise several colors adjacently and to achieve a dynamic spectrum of tinged light that responds readily to shifts in viewing position.

Kiley’s art has been exhibited internationally, and he has taught glassblowing at the National College of Art and Design in Ireland, the Bezalel Academy of Arts in Israel, The Pittsburgh Glass Center and Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle. The artist lives and works in Seattle, Washington.

John Kiley Opaque Rain Overlap, 2013, 2013 Blown, carved & polished glass 14 x 13 x 9 in

Steve Klein American, b. 1946 When discussing his work, Steve Klein notes, "My influences are primarily painters—Diebenkorn, Mondrian, Rothko, Newman, Miro, Pollock—and the ceramist Jun Kaneko. I’m very taken by glass as a material and the fusing and casting processes. I like the idea of having control of the piece during the construction, then losing control while the piece is in the kiln, then being able to regain control through cold working to bring together both forces into a resolved piece.” This precarious balance between control and compromise finds expression in his sculptural forms and designs. “In life,” he explains, “there are moments that require compromise, resolution and action to create balance. I am challenged by that act of balancing and this is what my work addresses.”

An alumnus in Theatre Arts from California State University in Long Beach, CA, Klein began his career in glass art almost 30 years later, taking classes between 1996 and 1998 at Pilchuck Glass School.

Klein held a professional artist in residence at Pilchuck Glass School in 2002 and 2005 and Penland School of Arts and Crafts, North Carolina in 2001. He has taught his unique approach both nationally and internationally. His sculptures are in the collections of The Studio at Corning Glass; the Nacional Museo Del Vidreo, La Granja, Spain; the Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY; Northlands Creative Glass, Lybster, Scotland; The Bullseye Collection, Portland, OR; and the Museum of the Academy of Arts and Design, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.

Steve Klein Shelter 25, 2015 Kiln-formed glass 16 x 16 x 11 in

Steve Klein Exploration 179, 2013 Kiln-formed and blown glass 18.5 x 18.5 x 7 in

Steve Klein Shelter 17, 2014 Kiln-formed glass 10 x 16 x 16 in

Lucy Lyon Doppelganger II , 2014 Cast glass 18 x 23 x 8 in

Lucy Lyon American, b. 1947 Lucy Lyon is internationally recognized for producing evocative glass sculpture driven by a strong narrative impulse. Alluding to contemporary urbanity and youthful independence, her exquisitely wrought figures capture gestures and nuances of exceptional subtlety and strength. The artist’s distinctive works derive from a different, more personal, context than that usually encountered in the modern glass world—individuating her from her contemporary counterparts.

Lyon graduated in 1971 from Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, earning a B.A. in philosophy, and was further educated at Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State.

She has taken a number of workshops across the country from well-known glass artists, and has cited Edward Hopper as a source of inspiration throughout her career.

Her works have been exhibited in significant public institutions including the Redding Museum of Art and History, Long Beach, CA; the Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM; and, the New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, NM.

Lucy Lyon Young Woman Standing, 2010 Cast glass & fabricated steel 38 x 14 x 10 in

Lucy Lyon Aesthete, 2021 Cast glass & fabricated steel 26.5 x 11.5 x 15 in

Lucy Lyon Alliance, 2023 Cast glass & fabricated steel 11.5 x 11.5 x 20 in

Lucy Lyon Academia, 2023 Cast glass & fabricated steel 24.50 x 29 x 18 in

Jaroslav Matouš Czech, 1941 - 2018 Born in 1941 in the Czech Republic, Jaroslav Matouš is known for his unique painterly technique applied to his glass medium. Studying at the Prague School of Applied Arts under Professor Stanislav Libenský, Matouš diverged from the sculptural norms prevalent in the Czech glass scene of his time.

As a perceptive observer drawing inspiration from nature, Matouš crafted his glass paintings with a bird's-eye perspective, employing colorful patches, pointillist dots, and fine lines on the glass surface. Notably, he highlighted almost invisible elements within the landscapes on which he based his designs, granting them crucial significance in his glass works.

Fine glass colors, melted wires, and small glass beads are used to accentuate the fragility of nature. Expressed in a highly individual and original manner, Matouš philosophically explores the delicate nature of our environment, creating intimate glass landscapes from his own poetic contemplation. His work is found in numerous private and international collections and museums.

Jaroslav Matouš Landscape VII Slumped glass 21.50 x 20.25 x 6.50 in

Charles Miner Roswell Frogs, 2006 Cast glass 12.5 x 18.25 x 20.5 in

Charles Miner American, b. 1947 In creating delicate cast-glass open vessels imprinted with highly detailed natural forms, Charles Miner employs a complex system of lost wax casting informed by his considerable background in bronze. First, an original is made from carving wax, porcelain or clay; then, a rubber mold is made from the original. The wax piece is placed in a wooden form and completely covered with a soft plaster investment bearing air vents.

Next, the wax is melted out by forcing steam through the vents. Once dry, a large block of plaster with a negative image of the piece is applied. The mold is then placed in a large electric kiln. Next the mold is filled with powderized 24% lead crystal glass is heated in an electric kiln, which often reaches temperatures of 1600⁰C degrees.

It is then slowly cooled over the next week or two to prevent cracking. Finally, it is polished with sanding blocks impregnated with diamond chips.

The process of creating a single piece may take upwards of three months.

The results are imparted with an irreproducible texture; often resembling stone, but it holds all the attraction of glass.

Miner comments, “These pieces represent my goal to have a body of work that is visually pleasing on both the interior and the exterior, but that retain a strong utilitarian feeling.”

Educated at Pilchuck Glass School, Miner founded Tesuque Glassworks in 1975.

His works are included in the permanent collections of the Corning Glass Museum, the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the New Mexico Museum of Art, and the Tucson Museum of Art.

Charles Miner Trout Stream, 2005 Cast glass 35.5 x 35.5 x 3.5 in

Greg Owen American, 1967-2020 Born on April 7, 1967, in Hong Kong, the artist and educator Greg Owen was an iconic glass artist based in Washington State. Owen earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Glass from the California College of the Arts. Throughout the years, he attended and taught at the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington. He also taught at the Designkole in Denmark and was a visiting artist at Alfred University.

Until his untimely passing, Owen remained committed to teaching at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington where he served as Program Manager for Hot Shop Heroes: Healing with Fire, a program that imparts glass-blowing skills to soldiers and veterans. He also helped young glass blowers at Tacoma’s Hilltop Artists in residence program.

Originally known for creating oblong abstract blown glass forms called formeyeaeros, he later created a series of masks inspired by his time in Denmark and Viking history and archaeology.

Greg Owen Formeyeaero Blown glass 31.75 x 11.50 x 9 in

Brian Russell Untitled, 2006 Cast glass & steel 17 x 20 x 14 in

Brian Russell American, b. 1961 Brian Russell's artistic journey began in the late 1970s beginning with photography, specifically, black and white photography focusing on the human form. Transitioning to sculpture in 1981 under the guidance of Lawrence Anthony at Rhodes College in Tennessee, Russell explored various mediums, including wood and stone carving, and later, using scrap steel to create large freestanding sculptures. Russell welded sculptures and furniture, using the proceeds to establish his studio in 1985.

Over the years, he mastered traditional blacksmithing techniques, diversified his creations, and experimented with fused glass. He spent the next decade focused on large-scale architectural sculptures.

By 1998, Russell reintroduced glass to his practice combining glass and metal in his works.

A visit to New Zealand introduced him to a wax glass casting technique. Russell's mastery of forging techniques, combined with his artistic agility, enables him to convey ideas about reality and form purity through the emotional impact of colored cast glass.

Raquel StolarskiAssael Mexican, b. 1948 Born in Mexico City in 1948, Raquel Stolarski-Assael’s journey into the world of glass did not begin until 1980, when she designed her first piece of carved flat glass.

Two years later, in 1982, she founded her own studio and embarked on her formal education in glass, pursuing courses at the University of Mexico, Pilchuck Glass School, and the New York Experimental Workshop.

Her artistic endeavors span three primary domains: architectural projects, functional objects, and sculptural creations. Using sand carving as her main technique, she constructs her sculptures by creating multiple individual layers using clear and colored glass, as well as metal, which she then internally carves and paints.

Stolarski-Assael’s sculptures harness a whimsical mythology demonstrating the immense reach of her imagination. Her work has been exhibited and collected both nationally and internationally, including in the New Mexico Art Museum’s recent glass exhibition, The Nature of Glass.

Raquel Stolarski-Assael The Centaur Plate & carved glass 15 x 18 x 6 in

Daniela Turrin

Australian After earning a Master's of Visual Arts from the Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney, NSW, Daniela Turrin established a studio of her own in Sydney's Camperdown and initially focused on sculpting in cast glass before expanding her practice to include clay, paper, textiles, and wood. Her diverse artistic journey has been showcased in numerous group and solo exhibitions internationally, earning her recognition through grants and prizes, including a New Work grant from the Australian Council for the Arts.

Her works are characterized as “paintings” in glass, where forms exist as spaces trapped within flat glass panels. Drawing on historical traditions of glass used in architectural forms, Turrin's scale and painterly allusions firmly position her work within the contemporary art context.

Daniela Turrin Entwine, 2005 Cast glass 13.50 x 61.25 x 4.25 in

Veruska Vagen American, b. 1955 Originally trained as a painter, Veruska Vagen imbues her glass art with a cogent sense of color theory and two-dimensional form. After an initial foray into watercolor and oil painting, Vagen began to experiment with other media, and her innovative work with glass enamel soon brought her to the preeminent Pilchuck Glass School where she won a full scholarship. Over the course of her studies at Pilchuck and subsequent work with the William Morris Studio, Vagen developed her unique process of dot de verre – a combination of pointillist aesthetics and mosaic technique that results in exquisitely articulated imagery.

The work is then meticulously kiln fired, allowing the dots to fuse with the base tile while simultaneously fire polishing their surface. Upon completion, the dots are affixed to a black glass plate and framed.

Vagen’s distinctive portraits have earned her acclaim throughout the United States and abroad. Her work can be found in several prestigious public and private collections, including the Sphere and Bead Museum in Tokyo, Japan.

To create each work, Vagen fastens thousands of tiny dots of glass to a foundation glass tile. Through a painstaking process of assemblage and revision, Vagen configures each piece to replicate a desired portrait, often chosen from the art historical canon to reflect Vagen’s acute interest in the changing perception of the human visage.

Veruska Vagen White Rabbit, 1878, after Hunt, 2022 Fused Glass (dot de verre) 11.75 x 13 x 1.50 in

Carmen Vetter Transpose, 2011 Kiln-formed glass 42.25 x 42.25 x 1.75 in

Carmen Vetter American, b. 1957 Drawn to the wide-ranging properties of surface, glass artist Carmen Vetter is inspired by its ability to convey history through touch. Vetter’s fused glass panels are just as likely to suggest aerial views of cities or eroding land as they are to recall glacial ice or cellular structures.

“The relationship between these surfaces and the things that underlay them--their unique histories, the unseen events that preceded them and created them, the mystery of what they are becoming--is what truly interests me,” Vetter writes. “I seek the intrinsic.”

A rising star of the glass world, Vetter has been working with kiln-formed glass since 1999. She has served as a guest lecturer at the esteemed Pilchuck Glass School and has been honored with multiple solo-exhibitions over the course of her young career. Vetter lives and works in Portland, Oregon.

Carmen Vetter Glow, 2014 Kiln-formed glass 42 x 42 x 1.75 in

Carmen Vetter Abate, 2014 Kiln-formed glass 42 x 42 x 1.75 in

Carmen Vetter Echo, 2014 Kiln-formed glass 42 x 42 x 1.75 in

Petr Vlček Czech, b. 1962 Born in 1962 in the Czech Republic, Petr Vlček creates geometric constructions featuring compact objects formed from molten glass. These creations take on the appearance of ancient, otherworldly signs. Vlček’s sculptures, through the interplay of light and shadow on the sculpture’s surface communicate these signs to the viewer. Vlček's works have been shown in museums in Europe and the US and is found in numerous public collections in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Denmark.

Petr Vlček Idol Cast glass 36 x 8.25 x 5.75 in

Petr Vlček Green Mask Cast glass 32 x 20 x 9 in

Eva Vlckova Neo IV Cast glass 33 x 12 x 5 in

Eva Vlčková Czech, b. 1966 Prominent glass artist, Eva Vlčková, was born in 1966 in Turnov, Czech Republic. Coming from a family rooted in the glass industry, Vlčková graduated from the glass school in Želesný Brod, specializing in engraving. She later trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague under Professor Vladimír Kopecký.

Vlčková’s pieces are often characterized by a combination of austere architectural forms, as well as minimalist geometric shapes with rounded edges, which exuding a calm energy. She developed a highly independent design language that is apparent in her works produced in the 1990s.

In an interview, Vlčková emphasized that her art represents a certain aspect of personality and comes from a strong inner conviction, reflecting her sensitivity and level inner constitution. Vlčková has established a solid foundation in both the Czech and international glass art world with her mature artistic language and unique style.

Eva Vlckova Shield, 2003 Cast glass 32 x 14 x 5 in

Hiroshi Yamano Japanese, b. 1956 Harmonizing ancient traditions with cutting-edge techniques originating in Japan, Europe, and the United States, Hiroshi Yamano’s glass art exemplifies the generative potential of cultural interchange while commenting on his own search for experiences that transcend borders.

His pieces frequently incorporate silvery glass fish that appear in constant motion, slipping in and out of elegant vessel forms that evoke the constant flow of water. Referencing the ocean as both a bridge and a barrier between Japan and the West, his art offers the sea as an evocative symbol of the conflicts between tradition and change, isolation and openness – an elemental space that both encloses and embraces the complex dialogues of personal and national identity.

Celebrated equally for their astounding formal innovations and considerable conceptual richness, Yamano’s sculptures are praised as instances of the most technically accomplished glass art produced today.

In a unique method the artist adapted from Japan’s history of metal crafts, complex forms of blown, sculpted, cut, and polished glass are fused with delicate layers of silver leaf while still hot and preceding copper plating, allowing him to emulate the intricate decorative surfaces of Japanese screen paintings.

Born and raised in Fukuoka, Japan, Hiroshi Yamano received his arts education from the California College of Arts, the Tokyo Glass Art Institute, the Pilchuck School of Glass, and the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he earned his MFA in 1989. His work is included in such significant public collections as the Corning Glass Museum, the Wheaton Glass Museum, the Chrysler Museum, and the Grand Crystal Gallery of Taiwan.

Hiroshi Yamano Fish Catcher Bag #130, 2005 Engraving & copper plating on blown & cut glass 15.5 x 7.75 x 3.5 in

Hiroshi Yamano From East To West "Scene of Japan" (FS #166), 2014 Blown, sculpted & cast glass with engraving 11.5 x 19.75 x 6.75 in

Brent Kee Young

American, b. 1946 Brent Kee Young, born in Los Angeles in 1946, is a renowned glass artist and Cleveland Institute of Art Professor Emeritus. He has received acclaim from various museums, galleries, and institutions in both the United States and Asia. His Matrix Series features intricate constructions of flameworked borosilicate glass rods. Young is acclaimed for his highly detailed web-like structures, which he designs into shapes that resemble ordinary objects such as chairs, ladders, or vases, as well as abstract forms.

Young is celebrated for his exquisite technique and distinctive artistic style and his work delves into natural elements, spatial ambiguity, and the dynamic relationship between man-made and natural impressions. Evolving his personal style over four decades, his creations continue to captivate the art world.

One of Young’s early blown glass pieces was acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery and was featured in a 2023 exhibition, This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World.

Brent Kee Young Vessel I (Matrix Series) Flame-worked borosilicate glass 35 x 6.75 x 9 in

GLOSSARY

Blown Glass: The technique of forming an object by inflating a gather

or gob (a specific amount) of molten glass on the end of a blowpipe.

Traditionally and in modern furnace working, the gaffer blows through the tube, slightly inflating the gob, which is then manipulated into the required form by swinging it, rolling it on a marver (a stainless steel work surface used to shape hot glass), or shaping it with tools or in a mold. It is then inflated to the desired size. In flame working, one end of the glass tube is heated and closed immediately, after which the worker blows into the other end and manipulates the hot glass.

Borosilicate Glass: Glass in which the flux (substance to lower the

melting point) is boric oxide instead of alkali. The first borosilicate glass was created by Otto Schott in 1882. It has a low coefficient of expansion and therefore withstands sudden changes of temperature.

Carved Glass: The removal of glass from the surface of an object by means of hand-held tools or sandblasting.

Cast Glass: Glass casting is the process in which glass objects are cast by

directing molten glass into a mold where it solidifies. The technique has been used since the 15th century BCE in both Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Cold Glass (Fabricated): A glass artist using cold glass techniques might

laminate (using high tech glues) two or more pieces of glass together. This is the most common method of cold glass working. Sandblasting, diamond saw cutting, and hand tool cutting are other methods used to manipulate cold glass.

Crown Glass: Sheet glass made by blowing through a parison (a tube-like

piece of plastic with a hole in one end through which compressed air can enter), cutting the glass sheet open, and rotating it rapidly, with repeated reheating, until the centrifugal force has caused it to become a flat disk.

After annealing, the disk is cut into panes of the required shape and size.

Bull’s-eye panes come from the centers of the disks and preserve the thickened area where the parison was attached to the pontil (a solid metal rod usually tipped with hot glass, which is applied to the base of a vessel to hold it while the mouth is being formed).

Cut Glass: The technique whereby glass is removed from the surface of an

object by grinding it with rotating wheels made of stone, wood, and cork.

The first stage of the process employs a stone wheel under a continuous stream of water. Later, wheels of fine-grained stone and wood, fed with various abrasives, are used to grind and polish the surface.

Dot De Verre: Dots of glass typically used to create a fused glass design on a foundation glass tile.

Engraved Glass: The process of cutting into the surface of an annealed

glass object either by holding it against a rotating copper wheel fed with an abrasive or by scratching it, usually with a diamond.

Fire Polished: (1) In the hot shop, the reintroduction of a vessel into a

glass furnace to melt the surface and eliminate superficial irregularities; (2) in kiln working, exposing the object to significant heat so that it assumes a smooth surface.

Flame-Worked: The technique of forming objects from rods and tubes of glass that, when heated in a flame, become soft and can be manipulated into the desired shape. Formerly, the source of the flame was an oil or paraffin lamp used in conjunction with foot-powered bellows; today, gasfueled torches are used.

Furnace: A glass melting furnace is designed to melt raw materials into glass. A furnace has a constant heat/temperature profile unlike a kiln, which sees its profile vary in temperatures.

Fused Glass: (1) The process of founding or melting a batch; (2) heating

pieces of glass in a kiln or furnace until they bond; (3) heating enameled glass until the enamel bonds with the surface of the object.

Kiln-Cast or Kiln-Formed Glass: The process of fusing or shaping glass (usually in or over a mold) by heating it in a kiln.

Lathe worked: The technique whereby a blank in the general shape of the finished object is mounted on a lathe and (in antiquity) turned with the aid of a bow or handled wheel, while a tool fed with abrasive is held against the surface in order to polish it, modify the profile, or cut it.

Plate Glass: Flat glass of high quality, formed by rolling molten glass

on a metal plate and later grinding and polishing it until the surfaces are parallel and completely smooth.

Polished Glass: Smoothing the surface of an object when it is cold by

holding it against a rotating wheel fed with a fine abrasive such as pumice or cerium oxide. Glass can also be polished with hand-held tools.

Pressed: Glassware formed by placing molten glass in a metal mold and pressing it with a metal plunger or “follower” to form the inside shape. The resultant piece, termed “mold-pressed,” has an interior form independent of the exterior, in contrast to mold-blown glass, whose interior corresponds to the outer form. The process of pressing glass was first mechanized in the United States between 1820 and 1830.

Slumped Glass: The process of reheating a blank until it becomes soft and gradually flows under its own weight over or into a former mold and eventually assumes the shape of the mold. Slumping is also known as sagging.

Stained Glass: The generic name for decorative windows made of pieces

of colored glass fitted into cames, or extruded lead channels, and set in iron frames. Strictly speaking, the term is inaccurate because, in addition to glass colored by staining, glaziers used, and continue to use, glass colored by metallic oxide, glass colored by flashing, and glass decorated with enamel.

Tinted or Colored Glass: Glass that is colored by (1) impurities in the

basic ingredients in the batch or (2) techniques of coloring glass by one of three main processes: (a) using a dissolved metallic oxide to impart a color throughout, (b) forming a dispersion of some substance in a colloidal state, and (c) suspending particles of pigments to form opaque colors.

Vaseline Glass or Uranium Glass: Vaseline Glass is a particular color of

yellow-green glass that is made by adding as little as 0.1% to 0. 2% Uranium Dioxide to the ingredients when the glass formula is made. The addition of the Uranium Dioxide makes the glass color yellow-green. Vaseline glass is verifiable by using an ultraviolet light (black light) on the glass item. When this is done, the glass turns a bright florescent green.

Cover - Jaroslav Matouš Landscape VII (Detail) | Internal - Brent Kee Young Vessel I (Matrix Series) (Detail) Railyard Arts District | 1613 Paseo de Peralta | Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 | 505.988.3250 www.lewallengalleries.com | contact@lewallengalleries.com © 2024 LewAllen Galleries Artwork © Each Artist