Art
Craft

#Amber Cowan
#exhibition
#glass
#nostalgia
#sculpture

Amber Cowan Transforms Flameworked Vintage Glass into Lush Assemblages

October 13, 2023

Kate Mothes

“Bittersweet, River and Milk” (2023). Photos by Matthew Hollerbush. All images © Amber Cowan, shared with permission

In elaborate detail, Amber Cowan recycles vintage glass into sculptures that effervesce with botanical frills and nostalgic motifs (previously). Many of the pieces shown here comprise the artist’s exhibition Alchemy of Adornment, now on view at the Museum of American Glass at WheatonArts, delving into the phases of popularity and eventual decline of glassware. “By the end of the 20th century, inexpensive pressed milky white and colored glass candy dishes, vases, and novelties—once proudly displayed in American homes—had fallen from favor,” says an exhibition statement.

Cowan draws on the medium’s legacy in her intricate wall pieces and freestanding sculptures, emphasizing the vast potential of the material. Vessels, kitsch, and decor transform into fantastical assemblages centered around femininity, change, and nostalgia. Using glass found in thrift stores, online sales, or by way of friends, Cowan incorporates antique pieces with flameworked cullet, or waste material that can be remelted. Sometimes, strangers donate their objects to see them revived in an artwork, and many of the fragments originate from defunct regional manufacturers in distinctive colorways that will never be produced again.

Alchemy of Adornment continues through December 31 in Millville, New Jersey. Find more on Cowan’s website and Instagram.

 

“Melanie Walking Snail with Cart” (2023)

“Art Nude Cascade in Jade” (2023)

“Candelabra in Shell” (2023)

“Dreams of a Decendant of Sirenuse” (2022), commissioned by Brunnier Art Museum

Detail of “Dreams of a Decendant of Sirenuse”

“Willie the Mouse with Tractor and Train” (2023)

“Cornucopia in Shell” (2021)

“Lamb and Dog in Sky and Milk” (2023)

Detail of “Bittersweet, River and Milk”

#Amber Cowan
#exhibition
#glass
#nostalgia
#sculpture

 

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. You’ll connect with a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, read articles and newsletters ad-free, sustain our interview series, get discounts and early access to our limited-edition print releases, and much more. Join now!

 

 

Also on Colossal

Related posts on Colossal about Amber Cowan exhibition glass nostalgia sculpture

Anatomy and History Collide in Borosilicate Glass Sculptures by Kit Paulson
Supple Forms Bow and Bulge in Jonas Noël Niedermann’s Colorful Glass Sculptures
Seven Artists Crack Open the Art of Printed Matter in ‘Bookworks’
Ornate Assemblages Cast Vintage Pressed Glass as Flourishing New Scenes in Amber Cowan’s Sculptures
Vintage Glass Forged into Enchanted Leafy Worlds by Amber Cowan

This article comes from the Internet:Amber Cowan Transforms Flameworked Vintage Glass into Lush Assemblages