August 2013
Holsten Galleries
newsletter
Note from Kenn Holsten
Greetings! The emphasis this month is definitely on color! Among the pieces I’ve selected to share with you here there is a rich variety of shades and hues of many different colors. Most all of these colors can be found in nature if we look closely and far enough. I hope you are enjoying these last weeks of summer and that you will also enjoy these offerings. I look forward to your comments and questions!
Quote of the Month
“Lino Tagliapietra’s influence, and therefore Murano’s, reshaped international glass. If not for his teaching, the achievements of Studio Glass would have unfolded more slowly, and surely at a different level and in a different form.”
– Susanne K. Frantz
Featured Artists
Saba by Lino Tagliapietra
This new "Saba" piece by Lino Tagliapietra is truly one of the most beautiful pieces I’ve seen by the maestro in the 25 years I have represented him. This is a big statement for me as I have worked closely with Lino Tagliapietra and seen hundreds of his pieces over the years. First of all, I love the color combination which is unusual but brilliant. The form is "classic" Lino Tagliapietra and there is great virtuosity in the several types of surface treatment. All in all, a masterpiece!
Suspended Artifact by William Morris
I have just received one of the finest examples I’ve seen of the “Suspended Artifact” series made in the 1990’s by William Morris, who is now retired. This piece is very typical of one of William’s most famous series and I feel fortunate to share it with you. For other Secondary Market pieces, including other Morris works, please click here.
Jupiter Manic Vortex by Stephen Powell
In over 15 years of representing Stephen Powell, this is the first piece that I have seen that does not have the characteristic murine as an essential design element. This new series offers a different esthetic and yet still continues to incorporate the multitude of bright colors that we also associate with Stephen’s work. Unlike some of the smaller pieces Stephen has been creating in the past year or two, this one is an ambitious 30.25" in diameter. I am excited about this new series and look forward to hearing reactions from collectors.
Poppy Cloud by Nancy Callan
This new piece from Callan’s "Cloud" series is swirly and has an upbeat, airy feeling. Thus the sculpture lives up to its nomenclature. I love Nancy’s use of cane work here and the form is also very appealing to the eye. Nancy continues to create outstanding pieces in her best known series ("Clouds," "Tops" and "Orbs") and is also working on other series as well. To see more of Nancy’s work, click here.
Chihuly’s 2013 Studio Editions are so beautiful this year that I have decided to feature all four series again this month, along with my comments on them:
Brandywine Macchia by Dale Chihuly
It was his spirit of experimentation that led Chihuly to work with all 300 colors available in his hot shop to create the Macchia series. A close look at this new Studio Edition reveals many of those 300 colors. This piece exemplifies Dale’s passion for color. The smaller interior element extends the intimate dialogue between color and form that is at the heart of this work.
Chartreuse Persian Pair by Dale Chihuly
"The name Persians evokes the exoticism of the Middle East with its seas of sand, the basic material of glass," observes art historian Henry Adams. This new example of Chihuly’s well-known Persian series couples his understanding of color with his organic sense of form. The sculpture’s scallops, spines and swells typify this series.
Saffron Seaform Pair by Dale Chihuly
The Seaform series "calls forth associations with water, marine life and movement without depicting them, and that’s why they so persuasively affect us as art," writes art critic Joan Seeman Robinson. This new Chihuly Studio Edition is a luminous and fluent example of that series.
Cinnabar Basket by Dale Chihuly
The Cinnabar Basket is a gem of a piece. It is one of the smallest Studio Editions to date, measuring a mere 6" in height, and yet for me it has a powerful and magical presence. This piece exemplifies the elegant simplicity and classic form for which Chihuly’s Basket series is famous.
Thanks for taking time to read this newsletter. Stay well and keep in touch!
Kenn Holsten
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