By Monica Guggisberg & Philip Baldwin
Located in London, GB
'The Cobalt Voyager' is a unique intense electric blue and black hand-blown and cut glass artwork with steel hull by the American and Swiss artists, Philip Baldwin and Monica Guggisberg.
Combining Scandinavian and Venetian glass making techniques, their sculptural boat centerpieces are made from smaller blown and cut glass components nestled (in sand) inside a metallic hull.
'We are migratory creatures; the history of our species is about journeys, departures, leaving and arriving, starting over. And none more so than ourselves. Our new work is both culturally and personally inclined. An autobiographical touch in civilizational reflection. Wherever man goes he builds, laying down cultural lines which gradually transform into relics and artefacts over time's inevitable march. Urban landscapes and complex designs grow and expand, deteriorate and decay. And on again we move, taking the memories of our exploits with us to use in the next story.' B&G
Baldwin (1947, New York) and Guggisberg (1955, Bern) have been a collaborative team for over forty years. They share an instinctive appreciation for the subtle blending of art and design, functionality and abstract expression, combined with a love of material – especially glass.
The list of museums and collections which have acquired their works is long and impressive. Individual showings, as well as participation in group shows, have given them opportunities to present their works at leading galleries and in major museums in Europe, Japan and the United States and their works rank among the best to be found in the international glass art scene. Working freelance, they have also designed successful products for international glass manufacturers since 1985. Their clients have included renowned firms like Rosenthal, Steuben, Corning and Venini.
Over time their work has developed its own distinctive signature, based in Italian cold-working (battuto) combined with the Swedish overlay process for layering colours. They have been pioneers in adapting these techniques and in creating a distinct expression of their own. Colour, light, texture, pattern, and shape together reveal an undercurrent of meaning and value, adhering to the simplest of forms and clear lines.
Over the years they have become more sculptural in focus, while seeking to imbue their work with a deep connection to archetypal forms and shapes, and striving for the highest level of craftsmanship. They address eternal symbols of human culture and history, while embracing contemporary evolution in form and meaning.
In recent years large installations and major exhibitions in public spaces, such as Canterbury Cathedral...
Category
2010s British Organic Modern Sparton Sculptures
