BOISE, ID.- Glass has been called a new state of matter because it does not fit squarely within the definition of a liquid, solid, or gas. Its amorphous molecular structure allows it to transition from a liquid to a solid over a wide temperature range, causing it to be nicknamed chameleon matter. This quality makes glass an ideal medium for a wide array of processes including blowing, kiln-forming, casting, and flame-working.
Glass can be translucent, transparent, or opaque; it can refract images or reflect them back to the viewer; it is strong, yet delicate. The ineffable and paradoxical qualities of glass make it perfectly suited for artists to explore fragility, resiliency, transparency, and transformation. This exhibition features work by contemporary artists who are using glass in innovative ways, while presenting its metaphorical possibilities. Their artworks also connect to broader cultural, environmental, political, and spiritual themes.
Each of the artists included in the exhibition examines the material and symbolic potential of glass in unique and revealing ways. For example, artists Charlotte Potter and April Surgent use the ancient process of cameo glass engraving to explore relationships in the age of social media and climate change, respectively. Jeffrey Stenbom utilizes cast glass to unveil the struggles facing the nation’s veterans. David Chatt, in a repetitive, labor-intensive process, covers found objects with thousands of miniscule glass beads to discuss family and nostalgia. Amber Cowan repurposes American pressed glass to create her intricate installations that recall a by-gone era.
Featured artists in A New State of Matter: Contemporary Glass include: Dean Allison, David Chatt, Amber Cowan, Steffen Dam, Morgan Gilbreath, Tali Grinshpan, Etsuko Ichikawa, Patrick Martin, Rachel Moore, Whitney Nye, Charlotte Potter, Michael Rogers, Erica Rosenfeld, Mary Shaffer, Jeffrey Stenbom, April Surgent, Judy Tuwaletstiwa, Norwood Viviano, and Jeff Zimmer.
Organized by the Boise Art Museum
Charles Gill: Observatory
November 3, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Boise-based artist Charles Gill was born in Caldwell in 1933. He began painting when he was only twelve years old. In 1955, he received a BFA from the California College of Arts and Crafts, where he studied with Richard Diebenkorn. In 1961, he received an MFA from Mills College. Gill taught for forty years, primarily at the California College of Arts and Crafts. He has made Boise his home since retirement.
Gill considers keen observation to be essential for both making and experiencing art. He is interested in the idea of the museum as an observatory, a place to look. Much of his subject matter is domestic interiors and suburban landscapes, but he wants viewers to look beyond the furniture and the neatly manicured lawns to the spatial relationships among forms. This exhibition brings together a diverse array of artworks—paintings, drawings, prints, bricolages, and an altered book—created over the course of the last three decades. Many of the works explore the same subject in different media. For example, compositions from Gill’s altered book served as the inspiration for large-scale oil paintings and charcoal drawings. The exhibition has been arranged to maximize connections between the works, and visitors are encouraged to look closely for visual links.
Organized by the Boise Art Museum
