Friday, October 3, 2008

The Art of the Glass Pipe

Degenerate Art: The Art and Culture of Glass Pipe' boldly showcases the work of 16 glass artists from throughout the United States, exhibiting pieces that fall outside the boundaries of conventional art. This exhibition provides a snapshot into the history of glass pipes and shows the direct influence the pipe movement has had on the evolution of lampworking.

I attended this show at the Mark Woolley Gallery in Portland Oregon. I was very impressed with the skill level of all of the artists involved. It was great that someone had the forethought to schedule this show during the world glass conference. This made for a broad spectrum of viewer that attended the show. There were many artists of all levels as well as a number of different collectors. The approach to the pipe was different from artist to artist but there was one common denominator, all pieces were inspired by marijuana. Lets remember that this was a show that highlighted the modern flameworker. To be exact the show was actually detailing a certain "breed" of modern flameworker. I like to call it a switchback revolution. Dont get me wrong, I very much respect the modern flame workers. They have developed the industry of lampwork or flameworking and taken it far past where it was only fifteen years ago. There was a lack of the actual facts on the evolution of the glass pipes particularly the modern "color changing glass".
The show at the gallery was full of great works of art and I was also impressed with the real fuck authority attitude that prevailed. I asked the woman who was selling the work if she knew that she was breaking the law. She smiled awkwardly and said that she had no idea. I told her that I had been arrested here in the same state for selling some pipes and bongs that were very similar to the ones that were here in the gallery. Mark Woolley and his sponsors really went out on a limb here. I can only imagine who would be subpoenaed as the witnesses in this trial ? This really opens the doors for the industry. If there were more professionals who accepted the pipe or bong not only as an item, but as art, the industry could thrive. Not only does this power the paraphernalia industry but it moves the evolution of the technique forward.
http://www.markwoolley.com/Artist-Detail.cfm?ArtistsID=454&ThePage=1

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

hey thanks for posting this...i wish i could see this show in person

Anonymous said...

i agree i wish i could see what went out... you should start taking snapshots of the journeys you go on... including shows like this...

brian

Anonymous said...

I love this show. Not only does it have an eff-the-authority outlook, but the work is truly amazing. I look at what's going on with the boro-pipmakers now, and I see such a selection of fresh glass there that I actually believe that some of the work triumphs over the tired 'glass art' thing of soft glass. And what are my criteria here? Well, the art glass movement seems to be revolving around itself, recycling and reissuing so much of the same work but with a slight new twist. How many Venetian goblets do we need to see? How many bird-lady sculptures? How many sandblasted vases called 'erosion'? Look at the any glass school auction catalog, and mostly there is tons of derivative work. (yawn) But the pipemakers, they are doing something of interest. Not sure if it is inspired by what is smoked in the pipes, but I do know something new and exciting when I see it. And somehow the pipe is the vehicle for this work, just as the vessel and the goblet were a few decades ago. One funny thing I must note -- there is a very famous and highly regarded glassmaker in the 'glass art' scene who has made at least one pipe, called it as such, sent it out to show in galleries and published it in a book, though it was made as a piece of 'art'. How is this show any different??
Be well.

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ashley said...

As I used to collect glass pipes, I'm also looking to glass pipes as a work of art. It takes a great imagination in order to come up with great glass pipes designs.

Vaporizers said...

Smokers take awesome joy in viewing the smoke pressing the council of the pipes. A different point of interest is that glass funnels are subjected to change in look and element as time passes by.

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