Vetri is thrilled to present two recent series by Seattle-based artist Anna Mlasowsky: Alterations and Core. In these series, Mlasowsky continues to push the boundaries of glass by employing uncommon techniques that reevaluate the preconceived boundaries of a material set by traditions.
Focusing her curiosity on studying the traditions and habits of glassmaking, “The way we evaluate a material and use its properties is defined by preconceived opinions and boundaries set by traditions,” her work seeks to challenge preformed behaviors and “raise questions about reality and projection
Mlasowsky says of her Alterations series: “I have used glass as a soil-like sediment exposing it to water and heat. The combination of elemental forces shape and change our environment; they are the basic element for creation. For glassmaking those forces are essential and result in earthen structures.”
Mlasowsky’s Core series explores the devitrification of clear, borosilicate glass tubes. Devitrification is the growth of crystalline structures within or on the surface of glass. “It was so interesting to me going from the clear tubing to magically having all this white from micro-cracks and crystallization.”
Artist Statement:
I have been a foreigner all my adult life, not only geographically and culturally, but also emotionally and bodily as a pan-sexual woman with Borderline Personality Disorder. This is the basis for my interest in the temporary, the in-between, and materials that occupy a pluralistic space. Glass is an embodiment of pluralistic identity and holds a central place in my practice. It does not crystallize when it solidifies, forever occupying a state of uncertainty. It can be solid, fluid, transparent, unyieldingly hard, and precariously fragile. With its physical extremes, it functions as an extension of my own conflicted self, stuck between cultures, languages and the emotional extremes of my mental condition.
Watch highlights from our studio visit with Anna below:
Anna’s Palm Charms are not available online, but can be ordered over the phone or in the gallery, 206.667.9608.