ART IN
REVIEW
Chromatic Fusion: The Art of Fused Glass, New Mexico Museum of Art, 107 W. Palace Ave., 476-5072; through Jan. 6, 2013 his year marks the 50th anniversary of the American studio glass movement, which began with two historic workshops presented by artist Harvey K. Littleton in collaboration with the Toledo Museum of Art. New technologies for working with glass enabled artists to work in their home studios rather than contracting with glass factories for production. Commemorating the anniversary, the New Mexico Museum of Art presents Chromatic Fusion: The Art of Fused Glass, Featuring Klaus Moje. Among the other artists represented are Toots Zynsky, Jessica Loughlin, Giles Bettison, Steve Klein, Joanne Teasdale, and several others. Chromatic Fusion is an extensive showcase of talent that never feels busy. It is a wellexecuted and informative exhibition divided into two sections, each with a number of varied works that share formal qualities. The larger of the two galleries the show takes up includes Zynsky’s vessel forms, made from fused glass threads, and Cobi Cockburn’s Spring Grass, comprising two thin-walled canoelike sculptures. These are among a handful of fragile-looking works that take advantage of the translucent quality of glass. Zynsky in particular makes use of the fluidity of molten glass. The art is well situated in a room with plenty of natural light. The majority of the glass in this gallery appears delicate and luminous. Hard-edged, complex designs and saturated colors, particularly in the work of Moje, dominate the second space. Fused glass is distinct from blown glass in that it involves cold and hot working techniques. An artist such as Moje, for example, might cut colored glass panels into sections, arranging the colored pieces and fusing them in a high-temperature kiln. Kiln forming is the predominant technique featured in Chromatic Fusion; among the exceptions is Steve Klein’s Exploration 161, which combines fused glass and blown glass. Moje’s stunning Portland Panels: Choreographed Geometry is the main attraction, not least for the size of the panels. They take up an entire wall of the second gallery. The work is composed of four 6-foot panels of overlapping diagonal patterns made from approximately 22,000 pieces of fused glass. The Portland Panels, with their bold, striking designs, are superlative examples of fused glass and are alone worth the price of admission. Loughlin’s nearby sculpture, pool 1, is a nice contrast: a cool monochrome bowl form. Opposite the Portland Panels, two of Moje’s cylindrical vessels, Niijima 12 CSOA 5 and Niijima CSOA 2/3, contain his characteristic patterning of bands of color,
Top, Joanne Teasdale: Metamorphosis, 2011, kiln-formed glass, fusible film, and vintage compacts; left, Klaus Moje: Portland Panels: Choreographed Geometry (one of four panels), 2007, fused and diamond-polished sheet glass; opposite page, Jessica Loughlin: pool 1, 2002, kiln-formed glass 42
October 19 -25, 2012