@ sant ab arbar amag CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A view inside the Cassandria Blackmore Gallery on Coast Village Road; Blackmore’s Pastél
Chróma, reverse painted glass, 30 x 30 in.; The namesake gallery owner and artist in front of her painting Portocali Geometrikós, reverse painted glass, 40 x 40 in.
ICONIC ICONOCLAST
“I think we are at a culture shift in the art world,” Blackmore says, “where artists have more ways of sharing their stories and what their work means directly with their audience.”
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CASSANDRIA BLACKMORE’s pristine Montecito art gallery is stunning in two respects: The space is glorious, and the artworks on the walls were created by the namesake owner. “I think we are at a culture shift in the art world,” Blackmore says, “where artists have more ways of sharing their stories and what their work means directly with their audience.” This means you can walk into the gallery most days and meet the artist herself. (Large-scale works are available for viewing by appointment at Blackmore’s Santa Barbara studio.) To produce her art, Blackmore employs a reverse glasspainting technique known as verre églomisé, followed by the fearless use of a simple tool—a hammer—to shatter the painting into countless pieces. The next step is putting it back together. The result is gutsy, serenely beautiful, and must be seen in person to fully appreciate. Her newest works feature cascading colored squares that appear three dimensional. “I like the way that you are either pulled into them or they come out at you,” says the artist, noting that these works are about “exploring organization in the middle of chaos.” A respected member of the studio glass movement, Blackmore sits on the board of Seattle’s prestigious Pilchuck Glass School. Her work is shown internationally and is held in museums and private collections. 1275 Coast Village Rd., Montecito, 805-895-2447, L.D.P.
PHOTOGRAPHS: SAM FROST
CA S S A N D R I A BL A C K M O RE .C O M .
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