E-Newsletter : Issue #047 April 2012

April 2012

Holsten Galleries
newsletter

Note from Kenn Holsten

Spring greetings! I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the beautiful spring weather. In Santa Fe the fruit trees are just finishing blossoming and the scent of lilacs is in the air everywhere. There is still snow in the mountains so the rivers are running full strength. This month’s newsletter features some new work, some much older work and highlights the work of Seattle artist Veruska Vagen. I hope you enjoy it!

Quote of the Month

“Glass is the most magical of all materials… It transmits light in a special way.”

Dale Chihuly

Featured Works

Maui by Lino Tagliapietra
This new piece by Lino Tagliapietra comprises most of the features that characterize the Maestro’s work: graceful form, rich colors, complex cane work. Its title intrigues me as my wife and I have been spending time in Maui for the past several winters. My color associations with Hawaii are mainly greens and blues. But then I am reminded of the magnificent reds, oranges and yellows of the sunrise over Haleakala Crater and the sunsets over the West Maui mountains.

Lotus by Martin Blank
One of the things that I love most about the work of Seattle based glass artist Martin Blank is its organic forms. As in some of Chihuly’s pieces that have been displayed around the country in various botanical garden settings, the line between art and nature begins to blur. "Lotus" is not a precise copy of the famous flower of India but it does evoke the same feeling. In contrast though to the bright colors of Chihuly’s outdoor sculpture, this piece has very subdued and nuanced shades of smoky topaz, taupe and clear.

Untitled 1984 by Richard Ritter
This is a magnificent example of the early work of North Carolina glass artist Richard Ritter. The piece has great depth and wonderful optical qualities. The interior abstract and organic forms remind me very much of the feeling I have when snorkeling or staring into an aquarium. Please visit our Secondary Market Page to view more glass treasures from the past!

Featured Artist of the Month

Vincent with Grey Hat by Veruska Vagen
(after Van Gogh, 1887)

Another outstanding artist from the Seattle area and one of the most uniquely creative artists working in glass today is Veruska Vagen. Veruska works with tiny dots of colored glass and assembles them into surprisingly accurate replicas of works of the great masters. She also sometimes creates unique pieces, such as the portrait of Dale Chihuly which sold at one of the Pilchuck auctions many years ago (to Dale himself, after a furious bidding which took the price way over its reserve) and launched her career. Please take a moment to visit Veruska’s page to enjoy more of her intriguing creations!

Here are a few lines written by the artist specifically for this newsletter:

"After nearly 20 years of working with this unique material, I am still mesmerized by its beauty. The journey of forming a composition dot by dot is always an adventure. Searching the sea of colored glass bits and finding just the right one is like a treasure hunt. As the piece progresses and begins to come into focus it’s such a delight, like discovering an old friend who has been patiently waiting to be recognized."

Kenn Holsten

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