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| Erin Antognoli mixes together steel, glass and imagery in her evocative sculptures. |
Constructing Content brings together three artists from the Washington, DC area that explore the ways in which ideas are translated and transformed as artists move from one medium to another. Arriving at kiln-glass from diverse backgrounds, these crossover artists bring new concerns and techniques to the medium. Working at the Washington Glass School, Erin Antognoli, Sean Hennessey and Erwin Timmers are kindred spirits, and their 3 person show opens this weekend at the Delaplaine Arts Center in Maryland.
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| Sean Hennessey creates narrative cast glass panels. |
“We are not in pursuit of the perfect object, or even, necessarily, beautiful objects.” explains painter and sculptor Sean Hennessey, “We are all driven by the narratives that we bring to our work. Our content drives and informs the imagery and the form. We treat glass like another artistic media, using it as an exploration of ideas”
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| Erin Antognoli, “Heading West To Find a Bridge”, detail. |
“I made the switch to glass and steel sculpture after nearly two decades as a photographer,” explains photographer and sculptor Erin Antognoli, “doing anything by hand seems to have become a lost art. Therefore, as a challenge to the age of digitization, it seemed fitting to me to hand-work the physical sculpture by grinding the glass circles, welding the steel frames, and showcasing handwritten letters.”
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| Erwin Timmers explores ecological implications in his recycled glass sculpture. |
Other artists, through kiln-glass, find a reinforcement of their artistic beliefs. “There is a directness, freedom, and honesty I feel working in glass,” says Washington Glass School co-founder, Erwin Timmers. “I’m not sure I felt quite the same way in my years of sculpting metal.” Erwin works with recycled glass, and environmental integrity informs his work. He feels that material and content are intertwined. “I believe there are no neutral materials,” explains Erwin, “I try to use materials for their intrinsic and philosophical content.”
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| Sean Hennessey, “Promise Locks” detail. |
These artists, with work as diverse as their backgrounds, are brought together because their unique visions have helped build a new direction for glass sculpture.
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| Erin Antognoli, “The Optimist” |
Constructing Content
Report From Penland School of Craft
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| Penland School of Craft is a
center for craft education located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. |
Tim Tate along with Sean Hennessey and Rob Kincheloe have just returned from teaching a class at North Carolina’s Penland School Of Craft for a fall session titled: 21st Century Reliquaries. Here are some comments and photos from the class.
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| The glass studio at Penland. |
The guys said they hit the ground running on Monday working doing demonstrations on Rubber Mold Making, Wax Casting, Plaster/Silica Mold Making, Lost wax, Dry Plaster Casting, Painting Glass, Cutting Glass, Glass etching, Flameworking.
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| Sean Hennessey outlines the process for Dry Plaster Casting to create bas-relief imagery. |
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| Robert Kincheloe shows how wax components are used to create forms in the Lost Wax process. |
The WGS team talked through ideas with students, help shape the directions of work, encouraged, excited, and admired all their interest and energy.
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| Tim Tate outlines the process for creating personal reliquaries. |
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| The class learned new techniques and worked at making artwork from the objects made. |
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| Penland Boardmember Glen Hardymon shows off his new glass slippers made in the lost wax process. |
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| Some surprises for the class – a special flamework demo by
Simone Crestani. |
The class techniques taught included pretty much everything except glass blowing. But since the absolutely incredible glass artist Pablo Soto was teaching a glass blowing class in the next room, he had his class make domes for the reliquary class.
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| Pablo Soto’s hot glass class blew the glass for the domes. |
After the techniques were taught, learned, and employed, the part of the class where artists pulled it all together was explored – making the reliquaries. Stories of regret were created, stories of anger, stories of triumph, religion, lamenting the death of bees, cheering the death of squirrels, issues of money, sexuality, and hope were all created.
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| After the students created their works, a “Show & Tell” exhibit. |
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| Yes, thats a real (taxidermied) squirrel with a glass hand grenade. |
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| The class made and presented Tim with a special reliquary. The “F” inside refers to Tim’s prolific use of ‘f-bombs’ in his banter. |
All in all a fantastic experiencefor all involved – we’d highly recommend taking a class there!
Ben & Giselle Huberman = American Style
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| The Fall 2012 issue of American Style Magazine features DC contemporary art collectors Ben and Giselle Huberman. |
The new Fall issue of American Style Magazine is now out, and one of the feature stories is about Giselle and Ben Huberman and their amazing contemporary art collection that showcases their support of area artists.
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| Ben & Giselle Huberman have been strong supporters of artists of the Washington Glass School, including Erwin Timmers, Chris Shea, Michael Janis, Sean Hennessey and Tim Tate. |
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| The American Style photo of the Huberman’s Potomac, MD residence shows Michael Janis’ glass sgraffito panel “Cubans Dreaming of Liberty“ |
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| Giselle and Ben Huberman. Giselle is the president-elect of the James Renwick Alliance. |
Within the article (written by Marilyn Millstone with photos by Timothy Jacobsen) are references and glimpses of work by Chris Shea, Michael Janis, Sean Hennessey.
Tim Tate’s “Ode to Joy” has a detailed description. In the mixed media sculpture, cast glass hands spell out in sign language the words to “Ode to Joy” in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. A video of a tenor singing Beethoven’s work is inside the domed glass, but without sound – which is how Beethoven would have experienced the song – as he became deaf.
The article has a detailed sidebar about Tim Tate’s “Ode to Joy” sculpture (photo below by anythingphoto.net).
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| Tim Tate “Ode to Joy” blown & cast glass, original video, electronics |
A video of a tenor singing Beethoven’s work is inside the domed glass, but without sound – which is how Beethoven would have experienced the song – as he became deaf. An interesting note – the tenor featured within Tim Tate’s work is artist Sean Hennessey. Besides being a glass/concrete mixed media sculptor, with work in the Huberman’s collection, Sean is an accomplished tenor. Below is the video of Sean singing that is incorporated into the sculpture. Have a look for the magazine at the newstands now!
Tate, Kincheloe & Hennessey Teaching at Penland
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Penland School of Craft – the national center for craft education located in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains |
Some of the Washington Glass School instructors are preparing to teach a Fall Course at Penland School of Craft in North Carolina, starting October 7, 2012.
Tim Tate will be leading a class on “The 21st Century Reliquary”, where the class will explore concepts for contemporary reliquaries – both the ideation and creation.
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| Robert Kincheloe will be handling the torchwork aspects for the class. |
Teaching assistants Sean Hennessey and Robert Kincheloe will help the students complete the necessary technical glass components as they work.
Sean Hennessey will be helping the students make molds. The process that Sean uses to take life-casting is the same as he will be teaching in the upcoming Washington Glass School course – “Life Casting” that starts in December.
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| Sean Hennessey takes a casting of his hands in an alginate mold. |
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| The mold material sets up quick and is ready for the fill material within 10 minutes. |
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| For this casting – a demo piece for the Penland class – Sean uses concrete as the fill material. |
The last time Washington Glass taught at Penland was in the 2008 Affecting Plate Glass with Tim Tate and Michael Janis. That was a fun class, and we have stayed in touch with many of the students.
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| 2008’s Affecting Plate Glass Class @ Penland |
Jennifer Lindstrom was the teaching assistant for that class and she made sure the students were kept in line.
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| Jennie “helps” student Joyce Knott. (Students – this image shows the importance of reading the liability waiver.) |
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| What we do in the name of art. |
Said Tim of the upcoming class – “Going to Penland is to me, like going home – I hope that we can all experiance that kind of love and growth in this course”.
Sean Hennessey at GooDBuddY Gallery
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| Sean Hennessey, “Pool of Tears” detail, kilncast glass, paint, integrated video. 24″x12″ |
For the last few months, sculptor Sean Hennessey been working on a series of pieces for a solo show – Reimagining Alice: A MixedMultimedia Series Based On Alice In Wonderland.
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| Sean Hennessey, “Killing Time and Times Revenge” (detail and full image), glass, concrete, found objects, paint, wood, integrated video components |
A graduate of the unique Berea College, Sean worked in professional theater for 10 years as a welder, carpenter, rigger, scenic artist, prop artist, and designer all the while creating his own artwork. Sean has been with the Washington Glass School since 2004 when Tim Tate finally convinced him that glass was cool.
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| Sean Hennessey reviews the cast glass panel fresh out of the kiln. After the annealed panel cools, Sean works the panel with concrete and paints. |
Hennessey’s sculptures are kiln formed slump cast glass panels that he trowels and paints with concrete and stains. His works have a feeling of relics, of archeology, and of the study of the past.
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| Sean Hennessey “The Tweedles” (detail) kilncast glass, paint, EL panel lighting. 24″ x 12″ |
Said Hennessey of the new works being installed his solo show “I wanted to start with the fun, absurdist, creative stories of Lewis Carroll’s tale, using my own imagery, visual language and loose interpretations, riddled with a personal take on metaphors and combine that with materials I have been using and with materials that are very new to me. The desire to include video and lighting in my work was the original impetus for this project”.
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| Sean Hennessey “Finding The Right Key” (detail) kilnfired glass, concrete, paint, EL panel lighting. |
“I equate the concrete with the realities of earth, and life, and the shell that we use to protect ourselves from exposing our soul to the world” Hennessey said his use of unusual medias not normally associated with fine art. “I‘ve been combining glass, paint, steel, wood, concrete, found objects, stencils, LED’s, electroluminescent lighting (EL) and video. All the fun stuff.”
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| Sean Hennessey, “Pool of Tears” (with image detail), kilncast glass, paint, steel, wood, integrated video component |
The series was funded, in part, from a grant Hennessey received from the District of Columbia’s Commission on the Arts and Humanitiesand will be hosted by the architecture firm Weibenson and Dorman in the 410 Goodbuddy Gallery.
Hennessey is one of the artists involved in the renovation of the entry doors of the Library of Congress’ Adams Buildingby the Architect of the Capitol, now under production. One of the East Coast’s leading mold makers, Hennessey has been taking castings of the landmark’s historic bronze doors as part of the process in translating the relief sculptures into cast glass for the building entry.
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| Sean Hennessey, “Drink Me” (detail) |
Sean Hennessey: Reimagining Alice
A MixedMultimedia Series Based On Alice In Wonderland
September 28th – October 26, 2012
Opening Reception Friday, September 28th, from 5-8 PM
410 Florida Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
410 GooDBuddY is an exhibition space can that can be used by a single artist to exhibit their works. It is within the FRINJ neighborhood of Washington, DC, and is partially provided by Wiebenson & Dorman Architects whose studio is located in the same building.
Sean Hennessey Constructing Art
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| Sean Hennessey often incorporates electronics into his cast glass works. Here he is testing new el-wire (electroluminescent) sheet for his panels. |
Artist Sean Hennessey is in da house! (Or at least da Studio!) working on a new series of cast glass/mixed media panels. Fresh from his successful show at Blue Spiral Gallery in Asheville and Artomatic, Sean continues to move forward in his artwork. Sean is kilncasting slabs of glass for his upcoming shows, including “Constructing Content” with fellow Washington Glass artists Erwin Timmers and Erin Antognoli that opens Dec 1 at the Kline Gallery in Frederick, MD’s Delaplaine Arts Center.
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| Opening the kiln, Sean removes the plaster from cast glass. |
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| Sean’s glass is formed using dry-plaster casting technique captures the detail of his fingerprints. |
Constructing Content
An exhibit featuring Washington Glass School sculptors Erwin Timmers, Sean Hennessey, and Erin Antognoli. The mixed media sculptors combine photography, steel and glass. More will be published online soon!
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| Sean appraises the composition of panel after annealing. |
December 1–30, 2012
Kline Gallery
40 South Carroll Street
Frederick, Maryland 21701
Penland Auction & Tour
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| The Penland 2012 auction tent as lighting lights up the sky. The central focus of the trip was built around attending Penland’s Annual Benefit Auction featuring the sale of over 200 craft items, and it was a wonderful opportunity to interact with fellow craft enthusiasts. |
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Michael Sherrill’s incredible studio |
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| Michael Sherrill’s ceramic artwork |
Ceramist Michael Sherrill has been making pots for more than twenty years. Originally, his work was completely functional, but it has evolved into work that is now wholly sculptural. He is one of the most thoughtful and articulate sculptors of our time.
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| Michael Sherrill talking about his work |
Hoss Haley has worked in metal for over twenty years, creating sculpture, paintings, and public art. Hoss’s work is in several collections including Lowes Corporation,
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| Hoss recycles objects like washing machines and cars – often crumpling them into ball shapes mounted to walls or stacked. |
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| Christina Cordova talks about her recent works. |
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| Christina Cordova’s work is awesome. |
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| Pablo De Soto charms Fred and Susan Sanders |
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| Alex Bernstein talks to the JRA at the Asheville Art Museum. |
Dan Essig’s wordless works of art are sewn, woven and carved into magnificent artists’ books and sculptures. Dan’s works incorporates so many things -fossils, shells, coins and old nails—into his artwork.
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| Dan Essig talks of his work |
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| A view of the Blue Spiral 1 Gallery. |
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| Stoney shows some of the special woods that Fleur Bresler had sourced. |
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| Stoney talked of his process to the tour. |
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| The big show was the drama, anticipation and socializing at the Penland Auction. |
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| Glass sculptor Beth Lipman chats with Susan and Fred Sanders |
Dan Clayman with the proud owners of his Penland auction piece….Giselle and Ben Huberman
A Visit From Penland
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| L-R Glen and Florence Hardymon chat with ceramic artist Novie Trump at Flux Studios |
Glen Hardymon – Penland School of Crafts Chairman of the Board of Trustees and his wife Florence were visiting Washington, DC, this week and they made a trip out to see the Washington Glass School.
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| Sean Hennessey, Tim Tate together with Glen and Florence Hardymon expound on the lighter side of the arts. |
Glen and Florence were able to chat with a number of the artists working in the studio, and were able to stop at the ceramics studio next door Flux Studios for a visit with Novie Trump.
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| Michael Janis (center) shows how he gets layered fused glass imagery. |
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| Novie Trump describes artist Tamara Laird’s motifs. |
In August, Tim Tate is leading a tour thru Penland and nearby Asheville, NC as part of the annual Penland Auction – held to raise funds supporting Penland’s educational programs.
Blue Spiral 1 Gallery in Asheville, NC features Glass Secessionists
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| Robert Bender‘s cast glass sculptures. |
A number of venues around the country are hosting exhibitions this year in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Studio Glass Movement (including one at the
Stepping outside the gallery’s standard focus on southern artists, this national invitational centers on Glass Secessionism – on view through July 28, 2012.
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| Works by Sean Hennessey and Christina Bothwell. |
Often incorporating other media, work by Glass Secessionists is predominantly narrative or conceptual. Noted in the group’s description, “The intent of the (Glass Secessionism) group is to underscore and define the twenty-first century Sculptural Glass Movement and to illustrate the differences and strengths compared to late twentieth century technique-driven glass. While the twentieth century glass artists’ contributions have been spectacular and groundbreaking, this group focuses on the aesthetic of the twenty-first century.”
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| Tim Tate‘s treats in glass. |
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| Thor & Jennifer Bueno and Christina Bothwell ‘s artwork make striking juxtapositions. |
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| Marc Petrovic‘s amazing sculptures. |
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| The bold sculptures by Marc Peiser provide a counterpoint to Susan Taylor Glasgow‘s domestic icons in glass. |
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| Michael Janis‘ drawings in glass. |
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| Artwork by Michael Janis, Ken Carder and Christina Bothwell in the front window of the gallery. |
The story may be poignant or provocative; the imagery haunting or humorous, but whether they lean toward edgy or whimsical, a growing number of glass artists have something compelling to say. Many share the sentiment that the medium offers more than dazzling effects, desiring objects that transcend materiality and stir something within us.
Glass Secessionism includes work by Rick Beck, Robert Bender, Christina Bothwell, Thor & Jennifer Bueno, Ken Carder, Susan Taylor Glasgow, Sean Hennessey, Michael Janis, Mark Peiser, Marc Petrovic, Sally Rogers, and Tim Tate. The exhibition opened June 7 and will continue through July 27 in the Showcase Gallery on Blue Spiral 1’s main level and extends through the month of August upstairs.
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| Works by Christina Bothwell, Rick Beck, Sally Rogers and Robert Bender. |
Prince George’s County Buys Artomatic Artwork
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This past Saturday at Artomatic,
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| Ronnie Gathers, Director, Prince Georges County Department of Parks and Recreation announces the artwork selection. |
Below lists the 11 works purchased – the artists below deserve well-earned congratulations!
2012
Ellen Cornett “No Puppets” Pastel on paper
Matt Deal “Machinery” Blown glass
Eric Eldritch “Elementals I” Acrylic on sandpaper
Eric Eldritch “Elementals II” Acrylic on sandpaper
Rania Hassan 6 Panels from “Knit Dress” Acrylic & Fiber on Canvas
Sean Hennessey “Hopes and Dreams” Glass, Concrete, Paint, Steel, LED
Jessica Murray “Untitled” Mixed media on paper
Bert Pasquale “Final March” Photograph
Bert Pasquale “Final Flight” Photograph
Ishmail Reaves “Microphone” Acrylic on canvas
Ronnie Spiewak “Landfall” Collage
Curtis G. Woody “Just Beyond the Sunset” Mixed media collage