Unlike studio glass artists, Howard Ben Tré casts his sculptures in a glass factory with the help of industrial equipment and trained assistants.Such methods allow him to make the artwork featured today.
Tons of Fun—Literally!
Unlike studio glass artists, Howard Ben Tré casts his sculptures in a glass factory with the help of industrial equipment and trained assistants.Such methods allow him to make the artwork featured today.
First Vase is a monumental, solid, cast-glass sculpture. A vase in name only, this piece neither rests on a shelf nor holds water. As light is transmitted, diffused, and refracted through the dense glass mass, this sculpture springs to life, constantly transforming itself as its environment changes. Weighing more than a ton, First Vase is a technical tour de force.
Source: Kenneth Trapp. The Renwick at Twenty-Five (Washington, D.C.: National Museum of American Art, 1997) at http://americanart.si.edu/collections/exhibits/renwick25/index.html.
Pictured: Howard Ben Tré, born 1949, First Vase, 1989, cast glass, gold leaf, patina, adhesive, and lead, 43 7/8 x 55 3/4 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance and museum purchase made possible by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program.