Glass Coast Weekend -- Habatat Studio A

"Within the Landscape" by Michael Janis (2015)

Every year I think, "This is the year I will participate in all that Glass Coast Weekend has to offer." The annual multi-day event is organized by Habatat Detroit Fine Art in collaboration with Imagine Museum and the Ringling and gets rave reviews. But by the time this year's dates were announced, my calendar was already jampacked with other activities and commitments. Happily, there was one event that was open to the public -- Habatat Galleries' temporary studio at Ringling College. The art glass on display was nothing short of jaw dropping. 

Take, for instance, "Within the Landscape" by Michael Janis. If you think this looks like a painting, you've got that right. Janis actually "paints" his works on sheet glass using black glass crushed into a fine powder as his medium and a scalpel blade as his brush. He works in layers to create depth and power, with fused glass adding texture. I cannot say "wow" enough times. 

Much of Janis' work is focused on portraiture and issues of identity. He is interested in creating a narrative, with the viewer completing the story. So I'll leave it to you to interpret what's happening here. For a short video in which Janis talks about his work and process, click here. And for Janis' website, click here.

"Bullet Proof" by Daniel Marder 
in collaboration with Joe Ivacic (2023)

Daniel Marder's "Bullet Proof (in collaboration with Joe Ivacic)" definitely tells a story, although it's not a happy one. A stay-at-home father with two children, Marder is particularly attuned to the horror of school shootings and the impact these incidents have on our youth. His response was the creation of a series of backpacks filled with actual items kids take to school. In some works, the backpack also has bullet holes. 

Marder was on site so I had a chance to talk with him. Not surprisingly, he's very passionate about this work. "Bullet Proof" was created using one of his son's old backpacks that was destined for the trash. So the zippers and trim are from the backpack, with the clear material being glass. It's worth noting that many schools and other venues today only allow clear backpacks as an attempted means of ensuring no weapons or other contraband is being transported. 

Marder told me the bottom of his son's backpack had basically deteriorated already, which made filling it with snacks and toys his son enjoys and then sealing it relatively easy. When Marder and Ivacic are making a work from whole cloth (whole glass???), it's more challenging. Either way, I don't quite get the process but I can confidently say it requires a lot of skill. For a video showing the pair shaping a backpack from molten glass, click here. Marder's hope is that work such as this will create an opportunity for dialogue among people with different viewpoints and perhaps even social change. 

"Poodle Green" by Mart Klonowska (2020)
(after Jeune Femme en Robea la Polonaise by Pierre-Thomas LeClerc) 

On a happier note, what better antidote is there to today's world than a pet? Upon entering the exhibit space, visitors were greeted by Marta Klonowska's "Poodle Blue" and "Poodle Green." Can you say stunning? So many tiny pieces of glass. I think I even audibly gasped as I found myself surging towards them. I drew up quickly, though, as images of the collector knocking over a Jeff Koons glass "Balloon Dog" and shattering it into a million pieces came to mind.  

I was surprised to learn that Klonowska looks to art history, with an emphasis on works by the Old Masters, for her inspiration. She hones in on animals who have been depicted playing a secondary role to their owners. Dogs are frequently featured in these paintings as a sign of the owner's wealth and status. Klonowska allows these loving companions to take center stage. I was in awe of these poodles before I knew this; now I'm blown away. 

 

To see an image of the painting that inspired "Poodle Green," click here and go to page 11. If you're like me, you'll enjoy scrolling through the entire document. And for a great video on Klonowska's process and work, click here. In the interest of full disclosure, I neither have nor want a pet, but we did have a dog when I was a young child. His name was Beau-Beau because he was a French poodle. I couldn't make that up. 

"Seaforms" by Michael Behrens

I'll leave you with the more abstract work of Michael Behrens. But when you learn these works are from his "Seaforms" series, I bet you'll immediately see the relationship between these amazingly colorful works and our natural world. Behrens says on his website, "My vision was and is to create objects in which you can see and feel the energy of nature." Mission accomplished. 

Behrens wasn't always focused on creating art glass. His original plan was to be a furniture designer. In school, he was introduced to glass as a medium by chance when he interned at a company that produced and sold art glass, kilns and related tools to small studios. The internship must have gone well because the company awarded Behrens a scholarship to complete his final examination. For an artist, a final exam is not a paper but the creation of a portfolio of work. Behrens' first "Seaforms" were the result of this project. He passed the exam. 

For more on Behrens and his work, click here. And for an interview with Behrens in which he talks about how he came to work in glass, click here. 

Thanks to Habatat for making this portion of Glass Coast Weekend available to people who can't participate in the entire weekend. Perhaps next year will be the year I take part in all the festivities. Stay tuned!