E-Newsletter : Issue #068 November 2013

November 2013

Holsten Galleries
newsletter

 
Note from Kenn Holsten

Greetings!  At this time of Thanksgiving I would like to thank all of the artists who create the beautiful glass art that I am privileged to represent and all of you who enjoy collecting glass and make it possible for both the artists and the galleries to continue to do what they love to do.  Harvey Littleton used to talk about the three-way partnership between artists, galleries and collectors and I have thought quite a lot about this symbiotic relationship over the 25 years I have been selling glass.  Like the bees and the flowers, one part cannot exist without the other.  I am truly grateful to have gotten to know so many of you over the years and to have participated in so many events where collectors, dealers and artists get together to enjoy each other’s company and to celebrate our little universe of contemporary glass art! This month I have chosen pieces by some of my favorite artists to share with you and I hope you enjoy seeing them.  I wish you and your loved ones the happiest of holidays.

Quote of the Month

“The purpose of art is washing the daily dust of life off our souls.”

– Pablo Picasso

Featured Works

Cascade by Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt is creating some of the most beautiful and finely wrought cast glass sculpture I have ever seen.  I have just received three amazing new pieces and want to share this one with you.  “Cascade,” as the title suggests, has a flowing, undulating feeling.  Its organic quality does not keep it from having an understated sense of balance and symmetry.  The negative spaces in this piece are nearly as important as the solid ones in terms of the end result which is both playful and dignified.  I love this color which Harry calls “apricot!”

Maui by Lino Tagliapietra
Maui is one of my favorite places in the world and this piece by Lino Tagliapietra captures much of the island’s feeling.  There is the yellow of the sun, the blue of the sky and ocean and the red of the tropical sunset.  The feeling of "aloha" or love is present in each of Lino Tagliapietra’s pieces because of his love for his work and for the medium of glass.  This piece is indeed a celebration of all that is good and beautiful.

River Path by Alex Bernstein
Alex Bernstein has created another wonderful work in his "River Path."  There is a dynamic tension between the organic surface cutting and subtle green flanks vs. the rigid rectilinear vertical stripe of amber that runs from top to bottom of the piece.  The effect is one of balancing opposites, resulting in a harmonious whole.

Nautilus by Martin Rosol
I have always loved Martin Rosol’s glass sculpture.  Rosol has a highly developed sense of line and form and is able to achieve an artistic statement which is profound and yet deceptively simple.  As in haiku poetry, there is nothing excessive, nothing wasted, just the pure essence of fine art.

Teasing Jupiter Johnson by Stephen Powell
This Stephen Powell piece is classic in shape, quite large for a blown glass piece and super dynamic in terms of its impact.  And the impact is all about color!  Powell, like Chihuly and a few other contemporary glass artists, is a master at blending colors in unexpected but highly attractive combinations. I particularly love the turquoise murini tin the center of the piece which create a sort of color belt dividing the bottom from the top.

Rio de Janeiro Top by Nancy Callan
Here Nancy Callan has created another compelling example of her signature "Top" series. The form and the colors come together in a most harmonious way. I particularly like the large bullseye-like murini swimming in a sea of orange semi-opaque haze.

Honeysuckle Basket Set by Dale Chihuly
Studio Edition
A collector asked me recently to name my favorite Chihuly Studio Edition.  This was way too hard to do as there are so many that I love but "Honeysuckle Basket Set" certainly would be very near the top of my list of favorites. I love the simplicity of the basket series which, unlike some of Dale’s other series, allows the viewer to focus more on the sculptural lines rather than on a dramatic combination of colors. I also like this one because it is one of only a couple of studio editions which have three elements.

Stay well and keep in touch!

Kenn Holsten

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