Emeryville, CA – The Bullseye Bay Area Gallery presents a group exhibition of kiln- glass paintings. Surface and Atmosphere will be on view January 24 – April 29, 2017.
Twenty years ago, while in residence at Bullseye Glass Company, renowned artist Narcissus Quagliata was essential in developing the techniques for kiln-glass as a medium for painting. Since then, kiln-glass “painting” has been adopted by many artists. The technique has matured into its own material language that uses meticulously layered and heated glass sheets, stringers, enamels, and powders - applied with sifters and brushes - that may be completely fused into seamless surfaces or only slightly joined, maintaining a textural, sculptural surface. It is this aspect of kiln-glass painting that allows for subtle transitions in color, intricate surfaces, and the creation of atmospheric spaces.
Surface and Atmosphere features work by three artists who use glass to explore color and texture. Susan Harlan creates intricate stencils informed by nature, and uses these to layer glass powders onto sheet glass. The accumulated imagery coalesces into dense compositions that reference maps and books, creating non- pictorial landscapes. Similarly, Catharine Newell also draws from nature – in particular, the accretive surfaces of oyster shells - in her recent body of work, such as her piece Oistres V (2016). Kari Minnick’s compositions are constructed from many sources. In Door (2012), Minnick balances the rough, rock-like textural quality of the brushstrokes with the transparency of sheet glass, generating an experience of looking at and looking through simultaneously.