Glass Quarterly Hot Sheet--new blog

A new blog from the magazine Glass Quarterly.

2009 Andrew Page:

"The lecture that generated the most discussion was a presentation by Bruce Metcalf entitled “The Glass Art Conundrum” in which he argued that many glass artists who present their work as sculpture would be better off calling themselves decorative artists, adding that there was nothing wrong with that. Offering a quick sketch of a rigid hierarchy separating “fine art” and “decorative art” that he himself subscribes to (an accomplished metalsmith, Metcalf calls himself a jeweler and professes to be a decorative artist himself), Metcalf said that because most glass work is displayed primarily in people’s homes and lacks a conceptual framework, it is therefore not engaged with contemporary art and its makers should not aspire to being accepted as fine artists. Metcalf reserved special disdain for the work of Jon Kuhn whom he faulted for offering little else than the easy appeal of optical effects. Acknowledging that Kuhn’s work may be carefully made, he mocked the titles of the works and later returned to Kuhn as an example of an artist who appealed to a couple from Scarsdale, New York, he had met at a Museum of Arts & Design fundraiser and for whose taste Metcalf clearly had little regard. Metcalf wound up his presentation by citing examples of work in glass he did like, including pieces by Clifford Rainey and Judith Schaechter."

Page, A. "The glass art society takes over corning new york." Glass Quarterly Hot Sheet. June 19, 2009. website accessed July 1, 2009. http://blog.glassquarterly.com/2009/06/19/the-glass-art-society-takes-over-corning-new-york/#more-77