(5) Signed American and British Modern Art Glass Vases
(3) Signed American and British Modern Art Glass Vases. The lot includes two jack-in-the-pulpit vases, the largest and most iridescent signed and dated 2000 by Anthony Stern (making this one of his last pre-Parkinson's pieces), and the other signed and dated 1988 by Stuart Abelman. The stout, more traditional vase with a mottled blue, white, and rust pattern is signed "M.G." and dated '88 on the underside. Size: (largest) 17 x 9 x 9 in.
(2) Phoenix Glass Studios Arts and Crafts Style Iridescent Vases. One is a striking jack-in-the-pulpit design, while the other is a more traditional shape with a wide flared rim. The smaller one is unmarked, but the larger one is signed and dated '92 on the underside, along with an original paper label from Phoenix Studios. Size: (largest) 12 x 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 in.
Stuart Abelman was born in 1949 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A quick learner, he showed an early fascination with painting and sculpture, and was accepted to Carnegie Mellon University when he was 17. In his senior year a new art glass department was formed, and he immediately shifted focus to the medium, receiving his BFA and starting his MFA in Glassblowing. He transferred to UCLA, finishing his MFA there in 1976. For one year he taught at El Camino College, before leaving to open Abelman Art Glass Studio in Los Angeles. Along with David Hopper, John Leighton, and Arthur Stern, he is considered one of the pioneer artists and instructors that gave birth to the California glassworks scene. His work never uses paint, but instead creates colors and opacity from specific combinations of metals and alloys, often generating stunning cobalt-hued or iridescent shapes. He was also one of the first to incorporate figurative shapes into glassblowing, including his highly sought after collaboration with Murano on a series of clown figurines. In addition to exhibitions at museums and local Renaissance Faires, Abelman continues to work and teach from his studio, informing a new generation of glass artists.
Anthony Stern (1944-2022) was a versatile British experimental filmmaker and glass artist who began his cinematic career while studying at Cambridge University. In his early years, Stern formed a close bond with Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett, with whom he held a joint painting exhibition and later developed a non-linear film concept called “Wheel.” He pioneered the use of 16 mm single-frame cinematography in the late 1960s, directing the award-winning impressionistic documentary “San Francisco: Film,” which was famously set to an early recording of Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive.” Driven by a deep fascination with how light interacts with color and materials, Stern later earned a Master of Arts in Glass from the Royal College of Art in 1976 to establish himself as a prominent glassmaker. His distinct glass artwork earned international acclaim, finding a place in prestigious private and public collections, including those of Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Elton John, and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Later in life Parkinson’s made glassworking impossible and he returned to film, completing “The Noon Gun” in 2004, an acclaimed film-poem based on rediscovered 1971 footage from Afghanistan, before his extensive archive of films and photographs was celebrated on BBC4 in 2016.
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