Therman Statom (American, b. 1953), Carmel

Late 20th century, glass, acrylic, starfish, printed paper, hollow cased ladder with glass front and side panels, the rear panels in painted acrylic, with interior and exterior applied glass, paper and shell decorations, appears unmarked.

96 x 18 x 4 in.

The Contemporary Art Collection of Francine & Benson Pilloff, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Exhibited:
Fusion: Contemporary Art Glass from North Carolina Collections, North Carolina Museum of Art, 2005 (accompanied with a photo copy from the exhibition)

After an experimental glass blowing session with Dale Chihuly, Therman was soon hooked on the spontaneity of glass blowing and its limitless possibilities. He went on to pursue studies at Pilchuck Glass School during its inaugural year, completing a BFA in 1974 from RISD, and later studied at the Pratt Institute of Art & Design.

Therman is most notably known as a pioneer of the contemporary glass movement for his life-size glass ladders, chairs, tables, constructed box-like paintings, and small scale houses; all created through the technique of gluing glass plate together. Sandblasted surfaces become a canvas for spontaneous vibrant colors and line work, which take nuances from Abstract Expressionism and concepts of Minimalism, while simultaneously incorporating a twist by using blown-glass elements and found objects. Therman has been a guest at the Pilloff's home.

Good condition.