Emeryville, CA – Bullseye Resource Center Bay Area presents Poetic Ghost, a solo exhibition by Bay Area artist Cassandra Straubing. Poetic Ghost, the result of a yearlong collaboration with fashion designer Babette, is on view October 24, 2015 – January 16, 2016.
In her previous work, Cassandra Straubing tackled the stories of labor by casting work clothing in glass. Neatly folded worn jeans or heavy work shirts draped over chairs are transformed from rough fabrics to transparent glass. Often accompanied by narrative titles, this transformation immortalizes the banal object and they become placeholders for the stories of migrant labor, mining, or masonry.
“Glass,” says Straubing, “displays ghostly reminiscences, representing a personal history or memory left behind.” For Poetic Ghost the artist has turned her attention to garment workers. “Through the exploration of the blouse, my recent work celebrates the handed toils of the garment worker, honoring the mastery of their labor,” Straubing explains. The glass blouses, all based on designs by Bay Area designer Babette, are installed with the tools and materials of the trade, emphasizing both the history of the blouse as symbol of women’s liberation and its current status as a signifier of economic and social status.
Straubing earned an MFA from Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, and a BFA in studio art from California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo. In 2009, the artist took part in a residency at Bullseye Glass Co. in Portland, Oregon. In 2010 she received Bullseye’s Emerge kilncasters award. Cassandra is currently the head of the glass department at San Jose State University, California.
Babette is a Bay Area based brand at the nexus of art and fashion, encouraging women to embrace their one of a kind spirit with bold texture and brilliant style. Since 1968, Babette has dedicated herself to producing American made clothing that is both practical and beautiful. Ever intrigued by the artistic nature of design, Babette views her partnership with glass artist Cassandra Straubing and Bullseye Gallery as an opportunity to be a part of the story that Cassandra’s work tells.
When
October 24, 2015 – January 16, 2016
Tuesday – Friday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm,
Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Where
Bullseye Resource Center Bay Area Gallery
4514 Hollis St.
Emeryville, CA 9460
510-595-1318
bayarea@bullseyeglass.com
Artist Reception
Sunday, November 15, 12:00 – 2:00 pm