installation view
This month the Monarch Glass Studio sparkles with a series of new, three-dimensional, multimedia collaborations in the exhibition “Prismatic.” The concept for the show came about through a collaboration between gaffer and owner of Monarch Glass, Tyler Kimball and ceramicist Adams Puryear. Kimball said the exhibit’s title “symbolizes what beauty can occur through two forces combining. An angle cut piece of glass and a beam of light can come together to exhibit a displayed rainbow, or the full visible spectrum. It’s quite magical, and so are the possibilities between two artists working together…”
On opening night, I encountered “Junk Box” by illustrator Steph Becker and glass artist Alison Siegel and noticed vivid enthusiasm in the individuals and groups gathered around the piece to view the intimate delicacies planted inside. A pair of tiny swans float on a reflective pond while a kinetic winged figure spins around whimsically to enchanting music. Miniscule mushrooms, flowers and animals enliven the small, rectangular interior, inviting viewers to take a closer look. The artists describe their piece as “a wild interpretation of a classical musical jewelry box.”
Becker and Siegel’s collaborative process involved the pair taking turns painting or gluing elements to the box, passing it back and forth with a “main objective of making the other laugh.” Following their Dadaist predecessors, “Junk Box” adopts ideas of absurdity and nonsensicality, conjuring imagery from a fairytale.
“Remnants,” by multimedia artist Alex Carmen and glass artist Keegan O’Brien advances the concept of the “box” into a robust city seemingly on a rocky planet. With its contrasting rectangular prisms made from clear glass and mild steel, the city assumes a multitemporal dimension, recalling “how perception shifts over time,” as described by Carmen in his artist statement. The multimedia piece emits a fiery, earthy glow, illustrating an extraordinary combination of such elements as glass and steel, wood, ceramic, cast concrete, foam and painted canvas. The artists bring the materials to life, offering an abundance of meanings. Carmen and O’Brien discovered such a fruitful payoff from their collaborative efforts for this exhibition that they plan to apply for residencies together to build upon their work in “Prismatic.”
In dialogue with “Junk Box” and “Remnants,” the rectangular-shaped “Fusion” by glass artist Megan Chalifoux and ceramicist Sarah Clark reveals the power of sharing and teaching artistic techniques. “Fusion” illustrates a complex, dichotomous conversation about line and shape, color and light. Like the other works in the exhibition, “Fusion” demonstrates the necessity for natural light to flow through, revealing tiny divisions of color and reflectiveness. Moving around the piece and examining each facet, the viewer learns more about the possibilities in glassblowing and ceramics.
Although the work of Monarch Glass Studio is not connected to the exhibition beyond providing the exhibition a home, the opportunity for regional glass artists to create new work and new partnerships is important for the development of the artists and the excellence in their craft. Regional glass artists will be encouraged to participate in this show biennially.
Other collaborations in the exhibition include those by Audrey Puckett and Lilli Powell, Lauryl Sidwell and Daelin Towne, and Emily Clair Potter and Joel Pisowicz.
“Prismatic” continues at Monarch Glass Studio, 1919 E. Truman Rd., through July 5. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. For more information, 816.503.6326 or www.monarchglassstudio.com.
