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Seekers presents handblown glass and glass
sculpture by Henry Summa, whose original works explore the interplay of light,
color and optics within thick bodies of glass. Summa’s creations include vases, plates,
paperweights, ceremonial vessels and sculptures. With each piece he strives to
draw the viewer into a mysterious, inner world of ethereal colors and organic
shapes-within-shapes.
Summa creates the swirling lines of color,
intricate "dragon" coils, complex helix formations and other interior
patterns from molten glass that he makes himself. Working from the inside out,
he creates the inner-most formations first, then adds concentric layers of
crystal, iridescent and colored glass. He often cuts and polishes facets through
which the interior forms are revealed and reflected.
His complex World Weights involve cut,
faceted "windows" that reflect one image back upon another, acting as
mirrors when viewed at certain angles. His technically difficult Dragon
Plates are limited to less than 50 pieces annually; he loses more than half
of all the plates he attempts. His elaborate Ceremonial Vessels are
fanciful visual statements of pure sculpture that imply the existance of a
wonderful event to commemorate.
In addition to his artistic talent, Summa is a
superb glass chemist and engineer. He batches all of his own glass, creating a
palette of colors using various metallic oxides which are mixed into the molten
glass. He uses silver nitrate in many of his colors to create ever changing hues
within each color.
The distinctive artistic quality of Summa’s
work has many influences. He has lived in Germany, Turkey, India and various
parts of the U. S. After studying ceramics at California’s Monterey Peninsula
College, he began working with glass in 1972. In 1974 he established his own
studio in a remote area north of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Summa’s works have been shown at major
galleries and museums throughout the United States, including the Wichita Art
Museum, Corning Museum of Glass and the Portland Museum of Art (permanent
collection).
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