Organized by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, FUSION [A New Century of Glass] will feature 47 works from the twenty-first century that embrace the diversity and depth of the human experience. This profound and thought-provoking exhibition will include examples by 20 contemporary artists working nationally and internationally who have engaged the medium of glass as part of their artistic practice. The objects reflect a range of subject matter and style and relate to concerns of the present day. Artists explore themes of social isolationism, paranoia, the passage of time, and also address the impact of technology on humanity and the environment, while exploring the dichotomy of utopian ideals and the realities of modern daily existence. The safety and sacredness of the home, family life, gender roles, and interpersonal relationships are also questioned. Artists offer a new context for historical models and art forms, contrasting the inherent beauty and intrigue of glass with the artists’ introspective and personal approaches to the medium.
Key works include Andrew Erdos’s Texture of a Ghost (2011), a 6 x 8 foot room featuring hand-blown glass sculptures and a video installation; Josiah McElheny’s Landscape Model for Total Reflective Abstraction (I) (2004); Luke Jerram’sE. coli (2010), which explores the tension between scientific objectivity and cultural perceptions of viruses, diseases, and bacteria; twelve snow globes by Walter Martin and Paloma Muñoz from the Travelers series; three stained glass light boxes by Judith Schaechter; and a recent body of work by Czech Republic-based artist Karen LaMonte that highlights the role of the kimono in Japanese culture. The centerpiece of the exhibition is Beth Lipman’s monumental sculpture, Bride (2010), a ten-foot, five-tiered dessert stand featuring handmade glass objects that rise, overflow, and then spill on the floor.
The exhibition is curated by the Museum’s Curator for Collections Alison Amick and Associate Curator Jennifer Klos. The exhibition celebrates the Museum’s 10th anniversary in downtown Oklahoma City and is for exclusive presentation at the Museum.
ARTISTS
Lisa Capone
David K. Chatt
Steffen Dam
Andrew Erdos
Susan Taylor Glasgow
Katherine Gray
Timothy Horn
Luke Jerram
Karen LaMonte
Silvia Levenson
Beth Lipman
Walter Martin & Paloma Muñoz
Josiah McElheny
Matthias Megyeri
Marc Petrovic
Charlotte Potter
Clifford Rainey
Mark A. Reigelman II
Kari Russell-Pool
Judith Schaechter
