CHICAGO—Volume Gallery will debut an exhibition of new works by designer Thaddeus Wolfe, titled: ASSEMBLAGE. Volume Gallery will take over Gallery Two of Andrew Rafacz Gallery in an ongoing series highlighting work from American contemporary designers. Opening reception December 10th, 4-7 PM.
In his first solo exhibition in Chicago, ASSEMBLAGE showcases Wolfe’s unique works in glass created through a specialized technique, inspired by mineral and crystalline formations.
“I am producing forms that have the appearance of being built up – and are also fractured and coming apart.“
The ASSEMBLAGE series, Wolfe provides a distinct aesthetic link between the state of minerals and observing them in their relation to modernist sculpture and architecture. The angular sides of Wolfe’s creations have the appearance of naturally occurring circumstances of cubic crystallization but represent the careful curation of form.
Originally intending to generate the surfaces of pyrite rendered in glass, Wolfe devised his own system for synthesizing the naturally occurring form. The forms are first constructed in wax, clay and foam. The initial form is then dug out of the mold leaving a cavity into which the glass will be blown. The piece is then cooled slowly in a kiln, and when at room temperature the mold is cut away and discarded. The resulting glass form is then cleaned, cut and polished, using diamond tools. This type of fabrication makes each vessel a unique form.
The process of building up and breaking down can be seen in the erosive qualities that are evident in each finished piece. At first glance the collection of thirty pieces in ASSEMBLAGE reflect a material driven exploration in fabrication to mimic natural phenomenon, however the results are greater than the sum of their parts. Wolfe’s creations have a stunning visual complexity combined with an organic subtleness.
