Visiting Artist Series
April 27, 2008
Jay Macdonell Glassblowing
Jay will created one of his signature Allium bulbs. The bulbs explore relationship issues between form, tension, and balance. He resolves the issues by connecting three separate forms together.
Jay along with his team created a large, colorful glass vessel out of complex glass forms. "Jay is inspired by the undulating forms of unplanted bulbs and the colorful flowers that later spring from them, his sculptures are a celebration of potential and growth. His work is also influenced by the promise and potential of glass as a sculptural medium: the fluidity and vibrancy inherent in glass itself make it the perfect vehicle to convey a sense of evolution, change and excitement." William Traver Gallery, 2007 A native of British Columbia, Jay Macdonell’s elegant forms are strongly influenced by the rich natural beauty found along the Pacific coast, as well as the bounty of color found within his family garden. Lively, vivacious, and vivid; Jay’s work elegantly balances playful and graceful elements. "The gestural, luminous quality of glass allows me to make fluid, graceful forms while simultaneously expressing the rich palette of colors found in nature," says the artist. "I am also intrigued by the way color, line and form work together to inform our understanding of space. I explore this more intellectual intellectual aspect of the work by deliberately pairing color and line in order to highlight the space each piece fills, as well as the space between and around the forms," Macdonell says. |
"The relationship of each piece to its surroundings informs our understanding of its nature, revealing a changing gesture and enhancing the contours of the form."
Jay Macdonell has been working with glass since 1992. He completed a traditional apprenticeship at Robert Held Art Glass, and worked for several years with maestro Daniel Vargas. He has been very involved with both the BC Glass Arts Association and Pilchuck Glass School. He has been a visiting artist at the Museum of Glass for three consecutive years. Jay has had several solo exhibitions at the Traver Gallery (most recently in 2007), including a sell-out exhibition at SOFA Chicago in 2006. Public Demonstration & Sale Sunday April 27, 1:00pm - 4:00pm BAGI studio 401 E. Taylor Street San Jose, CA Funded in part by a grant from Office of Cultural Affairs, City of San Jose and Arts Council Silicon Valley. Share This
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