"Constructing Content" Exhibit Artists Explore Glass as Sculptural Medium

Erin Antognoli mixes together steel, glass and imagery in her evocative sculptures.

Constructing Content brings together three artists from the Washington, DC area that explore the ways in which ideas are translated and transformed as artists move from one medium to another. Arriving at kiln-glass from diverse backgrounds, these crossover artists bring new concerns and techniques to the medium. Working at the Washington Glass School, Erin Antognoli, Sean Hennessey and Erwin Timmers are kindred spirits, and their 3 person show opens this weekend at the Delaplaine Arts Center in Maryland.

Sean Hennessey creates narrative cast glass panels.

“We are not in pursuit of the perfect object, or even, necessarily, beautiful objects.” explains painter and sculptor Sean Hennessey, “We are all driven by the narratives that we bring to our work. Our content drives and informs the imagery and the form. We treat glass like another artistic media, using it as an exploration of ideas” 

Erin Antognoli, "Heading West To Find a Bridge", detail.

“I made the switch to glass and steel sculpture after nearly two decades as a photographer,” explains photographer and sculptor Erin Antognoli, “doing anything by hand seems to have become a lost art. Therefore, as a challenge to the age of digitization, it seemed fitting to me to hand-work the physical sculpture by grinding the glass circles, welding the steel frames, and showcasing handwritten letters.”

Erwin Timmers explores ecological implications in his recycled glass sculpture.

Other artists, through kiln-glass, find a reinforcement of their artistic beliefs. “There is a directness, freedom, and honesty I feel working in glass,” says Washington Glass School co-founder, Erwin Timmers. “I’m not sure I felt quite the same way in my years of sculpting metal.” Erwin works with recycled glass, and environmental integrity informs his work. He feels that material and content are intertwined. “I believe there are no neutral materials,” explains Erwin, “I try to use materials for their intrinsic and philosophical content.”

Sean Hennessey, "Promise Locks" detail.

These artists, with work as diverse as their backgrounds, are brought together because their unique visions have helped build a new direction for glass sculpture.

Erin Antognoli, "The Optimist"

Constructing Content

December 01-31, 2012

Reception: December 01, 2012,  from 3pm to 5pm

Delaplaine Arts Center

40 S. Carroll Street, Frederick, MD 21701

Ben & Giselle Huberman = American Style

The Fall 2012 issue of American Style Magazine features DC contemporary art collectors Ben and Giselle Huberman.

The new Fall issue of American Style Magazine is now out, and one of the feature stories is about Giselle and Ben Huberman and their amazing contemporary art collection that showcases their support of area artists.

Ben & Giselle Huberman have been strong supporters of artists of the Washington Glass School, including Erwin Timmers, Chris Shea, Michael Janis, Sean Hennessey and Tim Tate.

The American Style photo of the Huberman's Potomac, MD residence shows Michael Janis' glass sgraffito panel "Cubans Dreaming of Liberty"

Giselle and Ben Huberman. Giselle is the president-elect of the James Renwick Alliance. photo by Miriam Rosenthal, Third Eye Photography

Within the article (written by Marilyn Millstone with photos by Timothy Jacobsen) are references and glimpses of work by Chris Shea, Michael Janis, Sean Hennessey.
Tim Tate’s “Ode to Joy” has a detailed description. In the mixed media sculpture, cast glass hands spell out in sign language the words to “Ode to Joy” in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. A video of a tenor singing Beethoven’s work is inside the domed glass, but without sound - which is how Beethoven would have experienced the song - as he became deaf.

The article has a detailed sidebar about Tim Tate's "Ode to Joy" sculpture (photo below by anythingphoto.net).

Tim Tate "Ode to Joy" blown & cast glass, original video, electronics

A video of a tenor singing Beethoven’s work is inside the domed glass, but without sound - which is how Beethoven would have experienced the song - as he became deaf. An interesting note – the tenor featured within Tim Tate’s work is artist Sean Hennessey. Besides being a glass/concrete mixed media sculptor, with work in the Huberman’s collection, Sean is an accomplished tenor. Below is the video of Sean singing that is incorporated into the sculpture. Have a look for the magazine at the newstands now!


Untitled from Tim Tate on Vimeo.

Sean Hennessey at GooDBuddY Gallery

Sean Hennessey, "Pool of Tears" detail, kilncast glass, paint, integrated video. 24"x12"

For the last few months, sculptor Sean Hennessey been working on a series of pieces for a solo show - Reimagining Alice: A MixedMultimedia Series Based On Alice In Wonderland.

Sean Hennessey creates sculptures in glass and concrete that are narratives based on mythologies, religions, personal experiences and whimsy. By using imagery of common and slightly nostalgic items Hennessey tells narratives of hopes and dreams, and of memories and transformations. 

Sean Hennessey,  "Killing Time and Times Revenge" (detail and full image), glass, concrete, found objects, paint, wood, integrated video components

A graduate of the unique Berea College, Sean worked in professional theater for 10 years as a welder, carpenter, rigger, scenic artist, prop artist, and designer all the while creating his own artwork. Sean has been with the Washington Glass School since 2004 when Tim Tate finally convinced him that glass was cool.

Sean Hennessey reviews the cast glass panel fresh out of the kiln. After the annealed panel cools, Sean works the panel with concrete and paints.

Hennessey’s sculptures are kiln formed slump cast glass panels that he trowels and paints with concrete and stains. His works have a feeling of relics, of archeology, and of the study of the past.

Sean Hennessey "The Tweedles" (detail) kilncast glass, paint, EL panel lighting.
24" x 12"

Said Hennessey of the new works being installed his solo show “I wanted to start with the fun, absurdist, creative stories of Lewis Carroll's tale, using my own imagery, visual language and loose interpretations, riddled with a personal take on metaphors and combine that with materials I have been using and with materials that are very new to me. The desire to include video and lighting in my work was the original impetus for this project”. 

Sean Hennessey "Finding The Right Key" (detail) kilnfired glass, concrete, paint, EL panel lighting.

 “I equate the concrete with the realities of earth, and life, and the shell that we use to protect ourselves from exposing our soul to the world" Hennessey said his use of unusual medias not normally associated with fine art. "I've been combining glass, paint, steel, wood, concrete, found objects, stencils,  LED's, electroluminescent lighting (EL) and video. All the fun stuff."

Sean Hennessey, "Pool of Tears" (with image detail), kilncast glass, paint, steel, wood, integrated video component

The series was funded, in part, from a grant Hennessey received from the District of Columbia's Commission on the Arts and Humanities and will be hosted by the architecture firm Weibenson and Dorman in the 410 Goodbuddy Gallery.

Hennessey is one of the artists involved in the renovation of the entry doors of the Library of Congress’ Adams Building by the Architect of the Capitol, now under production. One of the East Coast’s leading mold makers, Hennessey has been taking castings of the landmark’s historic bronze doors as part of the process in translating the relief sculptures into cast glass for the building entry.

Sean Hennessey, "Drink Me" (detail)

Sean Hennessey: Reimagining Alice

A MixedMultimedia Series Based On Alice In Wonderland
September 28th - October 26, 2012

Opening Reception Friday, September 28th, from 5-8 PM

410 GooDBuddY Gallery

410 Florida Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

410 GooDBuddY is an exhibition space can that can be used by a single artist to exhibit their works. It is within the FRINJ neighborhood of Washington, DC, and is partially provided by Wiebenson & Dorman Architects whose studio is located in the same building.