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Seekers presents handblown glass vessels by Leon Applebaum, whose original designs capture light
and color and convey the essence of the medium.
Applebaum's handblown pieces are primarily bowl or vessel forms, all featuring
bright, primary colors in a rainbow of hues, usually encased in thick masses
of clear crystal.
His large sculptures, some standing several feet in height, are
assembled from various cast and blown elements, which he cuts, facets and
laminates to create a dramatic visual statement.
Some portions of his sculptures
incorporate blocks or slabs of optical crystal, which is 42 percent lead and has
an extremely high index of refraction and brilliance.
Applebaum studied art at Toledo University, and earned a
bachelor of fine arts degree from the Massachusetts College of Art, a master of
arts degree from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University and a master of fine
arts degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
He also studied glass in Sweden, at the Akrahallskollan
Orrefors, then worked as a glassblower at the Boda and Orrefors factories.
Applebaum has been an instructor at Peabody College of
Vanderbilt, Nashville; and Rochester Institute of Technology, NY.
Major awards include Best of Crafts Gold Medal, Toledo Museum
of Art; Juror’s Special Award, Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown,
OH; Winner of the Fragile Art Competition, Glass Studio, Portland.
His works have been shown throughout world and are included in
numerous private and public collections, including those of Fisk University, TN;
Canton Art Institute, OH; Wheaton Museum of Glass, NJ; Brunner Museum, Iowa
State University and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington,
DC.
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