K le n e lP s s k i ll w it h a r c h it e c -
t u r a l in s t a lla t io n s a n d L ip m a n ’ s
w it h s t ill- lif e c o m p o s it io n s f in d
f u ll e x p r e s s io n in
Landscape
,
a d a z z lin g f lo o r - t o - c e ilin g s c u lp -
t u r e c o m p o s e d o f v is u a lly la y -
e r e d s h e e ts o f s lu m p e d a n d
f u s e d p la t e g la s s a n d c r y s t a llin e
m a s s e s . I f t h e c o m p o s it e u t o p ia
o f
Landscape
g r a n t s in f in it e
v is u a l p le a s u r e , it r e je c t s a n y
n o t io n o f e n t r y . T h e f o o t t h a t
tr e a d s u p o n t h e f r a g ile - a lb e it
g o r g e o u s - illu s io n o f f r o z e n
t r e e s , m o u n t a in s , c lo u d s , a n d
m is t is d e s t in e d t o s h a t t e r it .
A t t h e h e a r t o f
Landscape
is a n
a c k n o w le d g m e n t o f th e g a p
b e t w e e n t h e r e a lit y o f a n o b je c t
a n d th e d e s ir e f o r it , a n d p e r -
h a p s m o r e im p o r t a n t , a n u n -
s p o k e n w a r n in g t o b e c a r e f u l
w h a t y o u w is h f o r .
T h e a r t is t s ’ id e a s a b o u t th e
e n v ir o n m e n t - b o t h n a t u r a l a n d
m a n - m a d e - a r e m ir r o r e d in th e
w o r k o f W a s h in g t o n p a in t e r
A b b y W i lli a m s H i l l (
1861
-
1943
) ,
w h o m t h e y s t u d ie d d u r in g t h e ir
s t a y in th e N o r t h w e s t .
H i l l s k illf u lly tr a n s la t e d h e r
e n th u s ia s m f o r th e o u t d o o r s in t o
p a in t e d la n d s c a p e s , w h ic h th e
G r e a t N o r t h e r n R a ilw a y n o t a b ly
u s e d to p r o m o t e s ta te t o u r is m
a n d b u s in e s s . I n H i l l ’ s h a n d s ,
la n d s c a p e b e c a m e th e u lt im a t e
c o n s u m e r c o m m o d it y . E f f e c -
t iv e ly lu r in g t r a in lo a d s o f v is it o r s
in t o t h e s p le n d o r s h e c a p t u r e d o n
c a n v a s , s h e in a d v e r t e n t ly h a s -
t e n e d th e d e m is e o f th e s ite s
im m o r t a liz e d in h e r p a in t in g s .
V is it o r s w h o b e a t a p a t h t o
t h e M u s e u m o f G la s s t o c a m p
o u t w it h “ G lim m e r in g G o n e ”
a n d th e o b je c t s t h a t in h a b it it
w o n ’ t le a v e r u in in t h e ir w a k e .
H o w c o u ld t h e y ? S u s p e n d e d
b e t w e e n t h e r e a l w o r ld a n d
w is h f u l t h in k in g , “ G lim m e r in g
G o n e ” o n ly s u g g e s ts a c a p t u r e d
m o m e n t in t im e , a n d as L ip m a n
s a y s , it c o u ld b e “ a m o m e n t y o u
n e v e r h a d to b e g in w it h . ”
+
Suzanne Beal is a writer
in Seattle.
Left: Lipman and
Klenell arranged the
evocative elements
of
Mementos
(detail)
into crystalline
compositions.
Mementos,
2008-10
blown and hot-sculpted
glass;
11.5
x
32
x
2
ft.
(installation)
Right: In
Artifacts,
the
objects (shown in detail
view) have lost their
luster, seemingly
trapped by an austere
white wall.
Artifacts,
2008-10
blown and hot-sculpted
glass;
9
.
75
x
35
x i ft.
(installation)
Right: Some compo-
nents in
Landscape
rise
from the floor as others
hang from the ceiling,
creating a sweeping,
frozen spectacle.
jun/jul П
american craft 031
