Diversity of Glass Art Celebrated in “Still Blowin’” Exhibition
On September 6, the Barrett Art Gallery’s glass art exhibition entitled “Still Blowin’ - 42 Years of Glass At SMC” came to a formal conclusion. Curated by renowned art professor Terri Bromberg, the exhibition celebrates the 42nd birthday of the glass program at Santa Monica College (SMC).
The subtle melancholia of the last day lingers in the gallery. One hundred works of art in 2400 square feet entails close quarters. Wall photographs and a silent movie offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of the Hot Shop. The only sound is the occasional burst of “Stayin’ Alive” whenever someone accidentally activates the motion sensor of Andy Berney’s “Disco Dishwasher.” On the last day of the exhibition, the walls are pristine, and the mood is solemn.
This atmosphere contrasts the heat-driven intensity of SMC Glass Lab, the place of conception for many of these works. Protected by safety goggles, artists spool molten glass onto blowpipes. Then they roll, snip, shape, tweeze, and pigment the glass. Classic blows of oxygen into the blowpipe inflate the glass bubbles. A high degree of collaboration is needed, but the difficulty of stewardship is evident. The furnaces are lit to 3000 degrees, and the heat infuses the room. Microscopic drops of glass hitting the floor erupt in fire. In the classroom, strewn with offbeat sculptures and tubs of material, students scamper to snag individual lab timeslots and work on their own artworks. The high energy is palpable. Determination is a clear necessity for glass art accomplishment.
The gallery’s collection of glassware features a range of models, themes, and concepts. The exhibition’s layout posits no discrimination. In one corner, a pair of intertwined birds of paradise neighbors a glass bear relaxing in an outhouse. On their right, there is a luminant cast of a man’s bare torso. All curios, from flowers to microbes, are given equal shine.
Glass as a medium offers a unique uplifting quality. An alluring display by Todd Kobashi features “Minion ‘Koichi,” an homage to the film franchise’s mascot. The figure’s luminescent skin conveys perfection, not typically ascribed to the famous yellow cretin.
Other common icons found in the gallery are glorified when portrayed in glass, such as Susan Haskell’s “Pig in Mud.” Haskell, a glass artist and educator, recalls selecting the piece because it exemplified the casting process, in which glass is shaped by cooling in a mold.
Other pieces utilize glass differently. The provocative “Oval Office Window” by Dave Kretschmer shows a presidential seal behind a bulleted pane of glass. Haskell airbrushed her feature “Three Women” onto glass instead of a typical canvas. “Painting on three different panes of glass gives an illusion of depth and movement,” Haskell said.
The only constant among all the artworks is their intricacy. Every item is equally precise and immaculate. Along with the numerous techniques displayed, the exhibition documents the personal interests and concerns of glass artists over generations. In this way, the exhibition showcases a well-rounded 42 years.
SMC is the only public resource offering glass instruction in Los Angeles County. Glass blowing is an ancient practice that continues to find inspired participants today.