Taliaferro Jones...Toronto Design News

Image: Taliaferro Jones. diStill, 2008. Kiln cast glass, cast cement basin, water and pump. 12 x 19 x 32 in.

Featured in the latest issue of the GAS News, Taliaferro Jones' work for the Canadian design store, MADE, was introduced at one of the most important design shows in Toronto this year - Radiant Dark. Taliaferro's entry, diSTILL, combines water, crystal and light as it moves through their realms. Light enters the crystal and plays with the water in color, reflections and refrations. The viewer is shown a cool calm amidst the dark theme of the show. Jones has extended her exploration of glass liquidity and the fores of water through installation and mixed media. (excerpted from International Window: Luxury with Individuality by Siya Chen, GAS News, volume 19, issue 5)

Opening Reception: Stig Persson | The Big Silence is tonight!

Stig Persson's opening reception for his debut solo exhibition in the USA is tonight (5 pm)! He arrived from Copenhagen (22 hours of travel...oh, gawd!) and has been resting and touring San Francisco for the last two days.

Stig's exhibition is beautiful, and even if you're not 'into' glass sculpture, I recommend this show with ★★★★★! You'll say I'm biased about this because it's at our gallery (naturally...), but know when it comes to glass sculpture there isn't that much out there that is as exciting and sculptural as the work we've been showing lately. What's the big deal?

Glass sculpture has been around for a long time. You've heard me repeat this time and again, and if you haven't, you know it. Because of its sparkling beauty, over the centuries it became commonly used as a decorative and design element (which is fine, really). With the advent of the studio glass movement, attributed to the 60s, glass was rediscovered as a sculptural medium, shaped in similar ways as bronze and marble, with the extra delight of unparalled optics, or light refractive quality.

Stig's work introduces a spectacularly clean-cut and refined vision of large scale glass sculpture. Yes, his work is fraught with architectural tensions in his use of form and optics, and possesses what is commonly thought of as a 'Scandinavian' aesthetic. More importantly, Stig's work is beautiful to behold. Light passes through his work, casting cool, meditative shadows within and without. Interior wraiths of color, built by heat and chemical reactions during the casting process are forever bound within the extreme lines of each sculpture. Exterior shadows of precise geometric quality, built during his cold-working process, cast on resting surfaces and strictly dependent on projected light, render unexpected visual gifts of color and line.

When I first viewed Stig's work at the home of his Danish gallerist, Anne Merete Grønlund, I was surprised at the scale and raw quality of his work on her walls. Since we opened his exhibition, 3 weeks ago, I've lived with his works surrounding my field of vision daily, and am truly enamored of the feeling of calm strength his work exudes.

Stig Persson interview

Stig Persson arrives this afternoon from Copenhagen. It's his first visit to California, visiting for the opening reception of his debut solo exhibition in the U.S. on Friday, September 19 at 5 pm (please click here for details, or visit our website at micaela.com).

Here is a video clip of an interview he held while participating with Galleri Grønlund's exhibition at SOFA New York in 2005.

Welcome, Stig, have a great visit!

Bag'O Neo and Pauletta Chanco

Once upon a time, before Micaela had a blog, we opened a marvelous exhibition, Bag'O Neo, curated by the talented Rico Reyes. A success, the show was extended well past its original exhibition plan, and we continue to admire and promote the talented artists whose work we featured!

One such artist, Pauletta Chanco, informed me this morning that her new collection is finished (congratulations, Pauletta!) and that she is preparing for a new exhibition in San Francisco in 2009 (if you're interested in an image CD of her 10 latest works, please write to her). Best wishes, Pauletta!

image credit, right: Pauletta Chanco, Blue Wheel, 2007/8. Oil on canvas. 72 x 64 in. Singular.

Taliaferro Jones news...

Last night, Taliaferro Jones wrote that she was back from her holiday in Spain ... physically at least. She forwarded an article published in this month's ARTNews about her exhibition held in sync with her lecture at the Glass Art Society's summer conference in Portland. The article, by TJ Norris, discusses Taliaferro's work as follows: "Jones displayed a taste for the flowing gesture in her translucent kiln-cast glass sculptures mimicking the grace of oceanic movement. In three sumptuous works she gave the viewer a snapshot of the tips of waves. Shown together with a large-scale digital print of the reflective ocean surface, the meticulously rendered Effervescence (2008) captures the ferocity of whitecaps and the luxuriousness of sea foam." Bravo Taliaferro!

David Ruth at Green Street in San Francisco

You know...?! You have to love it when all you need to do is ask to receive! I'm always amazed when the artists I work with are responsible, responsive, and ... organized! As soon as I asked, David sent me an image of his beautiful fountain at Green Street (between Jones and Leavenworth) in San Francisco. When I grow up, I want one. Thank you, David.

Yes, I'll post a link with all the details on my website. For now, dear San Francisco Bay Area Reader, this work is commonly known as the Green Street Fountain because of its location on Green Street, although, as with all his sculptures, David's own name for this work is Takaroa.

For those of us that think glass sculpture is new...

Okay, I understand you could make a seriously good argument for design/decorative work here, not a true glass sculpture...This link is to an article published in Reuters, discussing the ewer, pictured at right, carved rock crystal, from the late 10th or early 11th century, as seen in this undated handout photo made available by Christie's in London on September 10, 2008. The 1,000-year-old ewer, one of only seven known surviving examples, will be offered for auction next month at Christie's Islamic art sale and is expected to fetch over 3 million pounds ($5.3 million). REUTERS/Christie's/Handout (BRITAIN)

David Ruth news...

David Ruth has been working on the Levuka Fountain installation at a posh mall in Santa Ana for a while now. At our studio visits, I saw the fountain emerge in various stages from the mock up to its glass elements. The pieces were beautiful, and finally late this summer, it was installed. I'm very sorry I can't see it , yet, in its actuality because it's in Southern California, and I'm here in San Francisco, but here's an image for you to enjoy:

As an aside, I'll ask him to send us an image of another fountain installation he did for a local building.

Other news: David's solo exhibition, Sticks and Stones, at Bill Traver's gallery in Seattle ended a few weeks ago. If you've been busy like me, and haven't had time to travel to make it to his show, here is an installation image: (click on the link to see the works on exhibition).

Grant Garmezy

Thanks to his blog, we have updates on Grant Garmezy's work!

Congratulations, Grant, on your inclusion to the Morgan Gallery’s 3rd Teapot Invitational. This year’s theme, teapots! steep in thought, will attract glass sculptors from around the world. Museums and collectors have purchased many of the pieces from previous teapot exhibitions.

I mentioned earlier that Grant enjoys prestigious awards - among the best is the Royal Scottish Academy feature of Grant Garmezy's work from April 25 - May 26 2008 at the Royal Scottish Academy’s 182nd Annual Exhibition in Edinburgh, Scotland. The piece, entitled, "Delicious," (above image, 2008, 12 x 5 in., blown glass) was awarded the RSA Benno Scholtz Prize for most promising work by a young sculptor in Scotland.

It's easy to see how/why he was awarded the prize - the work inspires highly emotive reactions in the viewer, a certain attraction based on color (is that a bright red tongue?), imagery (what is this a sculpture of, exactly?, and polished quality. Understanding Grant's memory-based work, renders additional appreciation of his sculpture, mature set of representational ideas and well-developed glass-blowing skill. Bravo, Grant!

Dan Klein Associates, Specialists in Contemporary Glass

For the devoted glass aficionado, I would like to introduce Alan J. Poole’s Contemporary Glass News List, September 2008 edition. A partner of Dan Klein Glass Associates, Alan's list is a tri-weekly, group email news list providing information related to British & Irish Contemporary Glass Artist’s activities, either based in the UK or abroad, including foreign nationals residing in the UK & Ireland that have lived or studied in these countries over the years. It's an amazing list, and goes on forever, which is a very good thing if you're a particular collector of glass, as I'm sure it includes everything going on in our world of glass sculpture updated to September 2008! For artists, please have a very good look, as a number of calls to artists are listed. Below, please find selections from the list, made with care and considerable difficulty, as everything seemed to be a gem. The list, in its entirety can be found at Alan's website by clicking here.

*05/07/08→? T.B.C. “Verriales 2008: Light, A Source Of Life”. inc: Richard “Ricky” Bernstein, Mark Bokesch-Parsons, Clifford Rainey, David Reekie & Colin Reid. Galerie International Du Verre À La Verrerie De Biot. Biot. F. Tel: 00 33 4 93 65 03 00. Fax. 00 33 4 93 65 00 56. Email: serge@galerieduverre.com Website: www.galerieduverre.com & www.verreriebiot.com

08/08/08→05/09/08. “Representations Of Identity”. Mixed Media Women Arts Movement Touring Exhibition. inc: Marie Maynard. Islington Arts Factory. London. GB. Tel: 020 7607 0561. Email: wam.group@yahoo.com

12/08/08→27/09/08. “Jeffrey Sarmiento: Translations”. Jeffrey Sarmiento Solo Exhibition. The Bullseye Gallery. Portland (OR). US. Tel: 00 1 503 227 0222. Fax. 00 1 503 227 0008. Email: gallery@bullseyeglass.com Websites. www.bullseyegallery.com & www.bullseyeglass.com

*29/08/08→27/09/08. “Seven Degrees: Glass By Graduates From The University College Falmouth”. inc: Louise Batchelor, Molly Harwood, Kate Milan, Sally Ould, Chloë Reynolds, Sarah Trewhella & Carli Anne Warner. The Plumbline Gallery. St. Ives. GB. Tel: 01736 797 771. Fax. 01736 797 734. Email: plumblinegallery@mac.com Website: www.plumblinegallery.com

*02/09/08→02/11/08. “Stig Persson - The Big Silence: Works From 2003-2008”. Stig Person Solo & Retrospective Exhibition. Micaëla Gallery. San Francisco (CA). US. Tel: 00 1 415 551 8118. Email: info@micaela.com Website: www.micaela.com

*05/09/08→12/11/08. “Breaking Ground”. Three Person Exhibition With Åsa Brandt, Dale Chihuly & Kyohei Fujita. Permanent Collection Exhibition. Ebeltoft Glasmuseet. Ebeltoft. DK. Tel: 00 45 86 34 17 99. Fax. 00 45 86 34 60 60. Email: glasmuseet@glasmuseet.dk Website: www.glasmuseet.dk

*07/11/08→09/11/08. “Sculpture Objects & Functional Art”. Chappell Gallery @ S.O.F.A. 2008 Chicago. inc: Emma Camden & Etsuko Nishi. Navy Pier. Chicago (IL). US. Tel: 00 1 617 236 2255. Fax. 00 1 617 236 5522. Email: amchappell@aol.com Websites. www.chappellgallery.com

*07/11/08→09/11/08. “Sculpture Objects & Functional Art”. Habatat Galleries @ S.O.F.A. 2008 Chicago. inc: Clifford Rainey. Navy Pier. Chicago (IL). US. Tel: 00 1 248 554 0590. Fax. 00 1 248 554 0594. Email: info@habatat.com Websites. www.habatat.com

*07/11/08→09/11/08. “Sculpture Objects & Functional Art”. Micaëla Gallery @ S.O.F.A. 2008 Chicago. inc: Ned Cantrell. Navy Pier. Chicago (IL). US. Tel: 00 1 415 551 8118. Fax. 00 1 415 551 8138. Email: info@micaela.com Websites. www.micaela.com

07/11/08→09/11/08. “Sculpture Objects & Functional Art”. The Bullseye Gallery @ S.O.F.A. 2008 Chicago. inc: Heike Brachlow. Navy Pier. Chicago (IL). US. Tel: 00 1 503 227 0222. Fax. 00 1 503 227 0008. Email: gallery@bullseyeglass.com Websites. www.bullseyegallery.com

Lorraine Peltz...news!

I received an email from Lorraine Peltz the day before yesterday with images of new work (so exciting!). She writes that fall has arrived in her hometown of Chicago and sent compliments for our new exhibition for Stig Persson. Thank you, Lorraine! She also wrote we have a strong group of artists, although we strive for that...it is a good thing to hear from the perspective of another artist. I hope you agree, and hope you follow this blog and what I write about them.

In terms of Lorraine's work, her work is included in two exhibitions opening this Friday (tomorrow) in Chicago, "Chicago Verge: Points of Departures (drawings)" at I Space, and "Ahh.. Decadence!" at SAIC Sullivan Gallery. I Space has a nice brochure with reproduction and there will be a catalogue for the SAIC show. Congratulations, Lorraine! I hope the show is a huge success!

Yes, it's easy to speak warmly of artists who are warm in return, and always, always a pleasure (there is something immensely satisfying in the knowledge that one's effort and work is appreciated). Please let me know anything you want about my work and the artists and gallery I represent, but to let you know...I get a lot (tons) of email, I do read it all, and some of it can make or break my day, consequently, I'm kind of selective about replies...

Stig Persson

Hello Everyone!

Please join us on Friday, September 19 at 5 pm for the opening reception of STIG PERSSON | THE BIG SILENCE: Works 2003-2008.

Micaëla is proud to introduce the work of Stig Persson in his debut U.S. solo exhibition of glass sculpture, THE BIG SILENCE, WORKS 2003-2008, showcasing select glass sculptures by the artist from the period. A resident of Copenhagen, Denmark, Persson is a multi-awarded educator, designer and sculptor. Through his work, he cultivates interaction between the surface of glass and it´s inner poetry. Persson states, "Common for all my works are massive proportions to achieve a monumental expression, to create tension between the fragility of the glass and it´s transparency." His work studies the affect of the synergies of visualized restricted outer shapes and a perceived, inner vibrating silence. Pure, fascinated with strict geometric forms and two-dimensional profiles, Persson's work reminds us of Richard Serra's concern with Minimalist gestures that refer to architectural form. Similarly, Persson's work allows the active observer to encounter and understand the possibility of finding a personal meditative space in the interaction between the archetypical outer shape, the essence of the material and the unconscious self of the viewer (click here for his 2005 interview). The exhibition opens today, Tuesday, September 2 and will be ongoing through October 31. Opening reception, with the artist in attendance, is Friday, September 19, 2008 at 5 pm.

Glass, a mysterious substance found in nature as raw crystal and in grains of silica, is an extraordinarily difficult medium to sculpt and possess. Mastery of its form and color is steeped in dramatic history spanning continents and politics over thousands of years - yet we continue to delight in all its permutations and marvel at its unique relationship with light. Micaëla is proud to present this beautiful exhibition of sculpture and exceptional artist to you. We invite you to visit our gallery or explore our website. For high resolution images or additional information, please contact Natalia Pudzisz by email or telephone us at (415) 551-8118.

Sasha Zhitneva

As we end our last exhibition COLD+HOT 2008, I have to say something about Sasha Zhitneva's contribution: what a beautiful surprise! Although Sasha resides in the U.S., awarded credentials include MA and BFA diplomas from Moscow State University. Her contribution, entitled, "Illuminated Pages from the Book of Seconds" is a set of works inspired by the Book of Hours, a medieval illuminated manuscript containing a collection of brilliantly illustrated prayers, in reference to worship and devotion. Inspired by the beauty of these books, Sasha was drawn to present the concept in glass, to register, experience and celebrate every hour (or, fleeting second) of life, and its related questions and issues. Her process seeks to match the vibrant colors of the illustrations in the Books. As medieval artists used ground gemstones and gold, ensuring imageries that withstood the trial of centuries, her work retains a similar permanency resulting from her fine understanding of gravity and glass viscosity. She employs thin veils and transparent washes of color created from opaque sheet glass through repeated firings in a kiln and manipulations in-between, not paint. Her work, a single page, becomes ready for viewing after a kiln-firing process of a month or more. Sasha's work successfully conveys an appreciative regard for color and introspection. Bravo Sasha!