sculpture

Object NameSculpture

Artist Howard Ben Tré (American, 1949-2020)

Studio Super Glass

Made FromGlass, lead, gilding, brass

Date1987

Place MadeUnited States, NY, Brooklyn; United States, RI, Providence

TechniqueSand-cast glass, cut; patinated brass sheet, gold and copper foils, pigmented wax

SizeOverall H: 121.6 cm, W: 35.9 cm, D: 25.7 cm

Accession Number87.4.57

Credit Line2nd Rakow Commission, purchased with funds from the Juliette K. and Leonard S. Rakow Endowment Fund

Curatorial Area(s)

Postwar and Contemporary

Exhibitions

Favorites From the Contemporary Glass Collection

On ViewBen W. Heineman Sr. Family Gallery of Contemporary Glass.

Interpretive Notes

Web Text

Howard Ben Tré’s sculptures are inspired by elements of architecture and industry, such as columns, heavy stone fragments, ancient monoliths, and machine parts. In Dedicant 7 and Dedicant 8, a visual tension is created between the shapes of the sculptures, which are blocky and architectural, and their textured surfaces and luminous colors. A gilded base, as well as bars of carved and gilded lead inserted into the glass mass, transforms these sculptures into altarlike monuments. A sense of ritual also may also be perceived in Dedicant 11, a large, mysterious vessel that is influenced by the monumental stone urns of ancient Greece and Rome.

Physical DescriptionColorless non-lead glass with aqua patination, gold, lead, gilding, brass; cast in sand mold, sandblasted, cut, ground, inlaid with gilded lead. Vertical, squared ribbed and notched column; solid, vertical four-sided column with overall slightly irregular surfaces, tapers in towards base; top flat edge is step-notched in an approximately 2" recession and gilded (also sealed); broad sides are slightly concave towards base, overall pattern; of narrow horizontal grooves gilded and patinated on protruding edges; short sides have vertical wide groove extending from approximately 1/6 distance from top to base, groove is lined with bar of lead patinated aqua and brown, at base lead is covered with square metal plate attached with two screws; flat glass base with attaching metal plate hardware.
Provenance

Source Howard Ben Tré (American, 1949-2020)