Human Form: a Body of Work from the Basch Glass Collection

"Reverence" by Martin Blank

The 16th Annual Basch Glass Exhibit is now on view at Ringling College and, as always, it is spectacular. I had the pleasure of attending a tour of the exhibit with Barbara Basch during which she spoke about every piece on display. Hearing about both the artwork and the artists truly brought the works to life.  

For me, Martin Blank's "Reverence" most epitomizes the theme of this year's show. I mean, hello! The chiseled physique of Blank's figure is beyond gorgeous. It's no surprise that the work is on display in the window of the gallery, along with Blank's "Demeter's Song." The latter sculpture is an homage to the Olympian goddess of the harvest. Both works are examples of hot sculpted glass. Creation of this type of piece involves "gathering" molten glass from a furnace with a steel rod and then sculpting its form without using molds or blowing techniques. Wow.

Blank was on hand to open this year's exhibit and gave the keynote address. His passion for art and life was on full display. He's a guy I can easily imagine sitting down and chatting with over dinner. In addition to works that can be displayed in a (very spacious) home, Blank has created large scale public art works. As a fan of public art, I'd love to see one of those works, perhaps his 210 foot "Fluent Steps." If you happen to be in the Tacoma, Washington area, "Fluent Steps" is on permanent display at the Museum of Glass. For more on Blank and his art, click here. 

"Ship of Fools" by Stanislaw Borowski (2005)

Stanislaw Borowski's "Ship of Fools" is a work that could be studied for days. The title comes from a book written in 1494 by Sebastian Brant about people moving from their home countries to the "Land of Fools." The satirical novel was illustrated with woodcuts thought to be the work of Albrecht Durer. While the Land of Fools is a fictional place, you might recall that Columbus set sail for America not long before before Brant penned his work. Perhaps the timing isn't coincidental. For more on the book, click here. But back to the art.   

"Ship of Fools" is a type of sculpture known as hot worked glass. This means Borowski "worked" the glass into shape using a 3D mold. You might notice that this sculpture is not as luminous as Blank's "Reverence." That's because Borowski acid-washed portions of the work to dull the patina. Each panel was then painted and/or etched with figures heading off to their new homes. If you look carefully, you'll see that the five human figures sitting abreast on the ship are morphing into birds. Basch explained that this transformation represents the release of the human spirit as the individuals embark on their new lives. It's a very interesting work. For more on the artist, click here. If you scroll down in the link, you'll find better images of work from Borowski's "Ship of Fools" series. 

"Tango series" by Leah Wingield (2003)

Leah Wingfield's "2 A.M." is from her "Tango" series, but I'm betting you could have figured that out on your own. Trust me when I say that the way in which the woman is holding her leg is not a move for beginners. Our tour group took a short tango lesson in Buenos Aires last fall, and it was all most of us could do to walk around the room to the count of three. A video revealed that we looked more like zombies recently risen from the dead than dancers. But I digress.

Winfield has said, "Tango is about attraction...tension...  energy... surrender. Tango expresses the rhythm of a love affair." You can see each of those feelings in this work. I love the way the partners lean into each other to create balance. You can sense the trust between them. To see other other works in this series that are more sensual, click here. I like them. 

Wingfield's work is an example of lost wax cast glass. The first step is to create a wax model of the desired form. Next, a mold is made around the form. Both delicacy and a sure hand are required for the next step as the wax has to be removed in order to create the cavity into which molten glass will be poured. I appreciate that Basch shared the different techniques with the group as it helped me conceptualize -- to a small degree -- how they were created. 

These are just three of the 38 works on display that showcase the creativity and skill of 20 very different glass artists. The exhibit runs through March 28 and is definitely worth a visit. For more information, click here.