WINDS SO BLUE (1999), BY JON KUHN | ||
ACQUIRED FROM JERALD MELBERG GALLERY, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, JANUARY 2000 GROUND, POLISHED, AND LAMINATED BOROSILICATE, LEAD-FLUORIDE, AND COLORED GLASS, 8 3/4" CUBE WITH 4" CUBE INNER CORE, SIGNATURE ENGRAVED ON THE BASE BY THE ARTIST |
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If the works of Dale Chihuly, Harvey Littleton, and Toots Zynsky demonstrate what is possible when you allow spontaneity to influence the ultimate form of a work in glass, the works of Jon Kuhn demonstrate the exact opposite. Kuhn's works are painstakingly precise and take several months to create from start to finish. There is no "controlled accident" here. (Jon has assistants who work on different phases of the works, such as core construction and polishing, so there are quite a few works in progress at any given time.) I first saw one of Jon Kuhn's works at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, several years ago. At the time, I remember not being able to figure out how he managed to embed hundreds of small colored blocks of glass inside a large, almost perfectly clear block of glass. The effect was amazing. Earlier in 1999, after I began to research glass in earnest, I saw one of Kuhn's works on the Internet. When I discovered that Kuhn was based in North Carolina, I asked Jerald Melberg if he happened to have any of Kuhn's works available. As it happened, he did... I finally got to examine a Kuhn up close. I was amazed at the geometric perfection demonstrated in Kuhn's works. Although I liked the works that Jerald had available, I decided that when the time came for me to add a Kuhn to my collection, I had particular specifications in mind. Just before Thanksgiving week, 1999, I realized that I would be traveling through Winston-Salem. It seemed like a good time to visit Kuhn, so I asked Jerald if he could arrange for me to be able to visit Kuhn's studio. Jerald made the necessary arrangements, and I got a chance to visit Kuhn on the day before Thanksgiving. Jon showed me around his studio, and gave me an explanation of how his works are created... here's a simplified version, based on what I remember:
When I told Jon what specifications I wanted for my cube, he said, "I think we've got just what you're looking for." And he did: I wanted a cube 8" on a side with a core consisting mostly of blues... I wanted as many shades of blue as possible, and not much else. This work is an 8 3/4" cube whose core contains mostly blue, along with a smattering of red, silver leaf, and gold leaf. If Jon had not had this particular work already in development, it would have taken about six months to produce the kind of work that I wanted... so I was pretty lucky that he had it. This work was completed shortly before Christmas 1999. I have always been a bit of a perfectionist (those of you who are sniggering right now, knock it off!), so this work really appeals to me... its geometric perfection, along with the simplicity/complexity of its core, make Winds So Blue one of my favorite works of art. The way that it catches the light is simply amazing. The third picture of this work was taken shortly before Thanksgiving 1999 at Jon's studio, while the work was being polished. Scroll down to see more shots of this work. Click here to return to the Collection. Postscript: The original name of this work was Wind Over Camo, but Jon renamed it before I received it. Thanks to Mary Melberg for her suggestion of the phrase "controlled accident"... that's exactly what this work isn't. |