Doug Randall's creations are spiritual in nature. His childhood fascination with the stained glass windows of European cathedrals is especially evident in this body of work, which presents monochromatic expanses punctured by "windows" into highly textured, multi-colored mosaic inlays. According to the artist, the pieces that make up the inlays represent the many cultures, religions, races, and individuals he has experienced on his many journeys. The "windows" provide a framework or point of view from which the beautiful, harmonious patterns of life can be considered and appreciated. The sculptural vessels, or "Offerings," are inspired by spiritual imagery from Randall's travels. The shrines he found hidden on the walls of buildings in the back alleys of Murano, Italy were composed of beautiful mosaics depicting a subject matter from roosters to glassblowers, but they all included a small dish-like font where one could make an offering. Initially inspired by these shrines, Randall has taken the idea a step further, by purposely setting his vessels off level to emulate the gesture of giving. His vessel series, “A Fine Balance” and his new series “Gondolas” speak metaphorically of one’s travel and our life long journeys. His luminous kiln formed glass pieces combine vibrant color with classic and reverent form. They speak of a point from which the harmonious balances of life should be considered and appreciated. Randall's fused glass pieces are created by cutting and arranging colored glass into patterns and fusing them together in a kiln. After it cools, the now formed glass sheet is placed over a mold and put back in the kiln, where gravity allows the glass to slump into the shaped mold. After it cools again, it is cut, wheel-ground, edged, beveled, sandblasted, and finally polished, all this by hand, before going back into the kiln for a final firing.
Contact Galleria Silecchia for more
on American glass artist Doug Randall.
© Galleria Silecchia 2000-15 Sarasota, Florida. All rights reserved. |
Randall
|