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The Alliance for the Arts is bringing four glass artists together in December to create a show that will give people an opportunity to explore how glass has traveled into the hierarchy of fine art. Works in Glass, made possible with support from the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, features works by Brian Cast, Susan Gott, Richard Mueller, and Andy Owen. While these four artists’ works are complementary, they have never been exhibited together. Works in Glass opens with a public reception on Friday, December 5 from 5-7PM.
All four artists have taught with distinction at universities in the United States, exhibit regularly at national and international galleries and museums, have been distinguished with awards and fellowships, and have their work represented in public and private collections.
Brian Cast works with multiple materials including melted aluminum auto parts, steel from the salvage yards, and melted glass that once was bottles. He primarily uses recycled materials in his work, along with other more traditional materials such as paint. Although he works in other media, Cast is best known for his cast metal and glass totems.
Susan Gott has worked in glass for more than 30 years. She creates one-of-a-kind, cast glass sculptures that incorporates steel, copper, and stone. Her works embody her interest in mythological symbolism and philosophies from ancient cultures that express the union of human being and nature.
Richard Mueller’s glass works utilize wood and steel in combination with fired ceramic and mineral inks fused onto the glass. His current work responds to the phenomenon of surplus information in western societies and changing notions of truth, beauty and knowledge. It employs as its premise the discarding, shredding and appropriation of word and image as a metaphoric device to generate new and relevant forms.
Andy Owen is an Associate Professor of Art and Art Program Leader at Florida Gulf Coast University. He worked as a master printer for Harvey Littleton, creating prints from a glass plates known as vitreographs. His experience at Littleton Studios led to teaching glass printing at Bild-Werk Frauenau, a small arts academy in Bavaria. Surrounded by actively working glass artists and deep traditions of Bavarian glassmaking he was introduced to the potential of glass as medium of artistic expression. He says his fascination grew with the discovery of the glass engravings created by Jiri Hircuba and Christian Schmidt, and that their work inspired him to explore the possibilities of engraving.
The exhibit opens with a reception from 5-7PM on Friday, December 5. Works in Glass remains on display until December 29. Paintings by Fort Myers artist John Scoppa will be displayed in the Member Gallery. Works in Glass is made possible with support from the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass.
