Inspiring the collector, Habatat Galleries 38th Annual Invitational

Habatat Galleries had their 38th annual Masterworks auction this month.  The catalog is available to view online.  The introduction to it is reprinted here:


" We are interested in WHY the art is made not HOW. It is the difference between art and craft.  Having said this, making glass sculpture is so work intensive that the process of making becomes very alluring, and the ability to successfully translate an idea is married to the craft. This should not however be the dominant theme for the artist or the preoccupation of the collector.
If the how it is made is why you are collecting you will grow tired of looking; if you search for why it was made, it will give you a life time of enjoyment. “Collector” should be an earned category. An artist doesn’t become an artist in a day, so a collector shouldn’t become a collector in a day. It’s a lifetime passion and process of learning, understanding and engaging objects with an open mind and an explorer’s spirit. We welcome you on the journey and offer our services as scouts! - Ferdinand Hampson

The Collector

Like paint strategically placed on an empty canvas the collectors surround themselves with objects with which they have a connection. This connection by nature is visually
stimulating to the collector. Some works can have an emotional impact or provoke a memory to its proprietor. Thoughts of the artist concept, the color or form are all there for the visual interpretation, enjoyment and mystery. Each collection tells a story that defines who the collector is. Each piece can act as a chapter or statement throughout the story.
Some collections are comprised of challenging thought and visual dialogue.  Others search for pure beauty and direct their collection of objects towards that which offers immediate gratification.
Victor Hugo once wrote “Inspiration and genius is one and the same” What is “genius” about art is that it breeds inspiration. An artist’s arousal of the mind can spawn a collector’s emotional connection on a conscious level that could be the same or very different from the artist.
This catalogue includes the artists’ Inspiration on one page and the artists’ creation on the opposite page.  A fun exercise would be to cover up the insight of the artist on one page and study the piece. Pull your own thoughts and connections from the piece then look to see if you had similarities with the artists’ inspirations for the creation of their work.
I hope this catalogue gives you inspiration and an understanding that glass in the hands of sincere artists is equal to any and all materials for making art.
- Corey Hampson"

Habatat Galleries.  "Introduction"  Habatat 38th Annual International Glass Invitational catalog.  Accessed April 25, 2010.  http://www.habatat.com/exhibit_international_detail.asp