Christopher Ries (Born 1952) American, Glass Sculpture. Titled "Solstice".  Optic crystal cut glass, ground and polished. Minimalism style. Clear glass triangularly shaped. 

Condition; minor flea bite at top. 

Size: 8 x 15 in.

Weighs: 11.2 lbs. 
#5070 . 

Christopher Ries was born to florists Raymond and Mildred Ries in 1952, and was raised in a log cabin on a farm near Columbus, Ohio. As a young adult he expressed an interest in art and ceramics, producing pottery in a makeshift studio in his parents’ root cellar. In 1971 he matriculated to The Ohio State University to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in ceramics. He soon became more interested in the glass used to glaze pottery than the pottery itself. In order to explore glass as a medium for artistic expression, he built what became The Ohio State University's first glass studio and served as its first instructor. Ries spent the next several years blowing glass and investigating glass types, chemical compositions, and properties.

During his senior year at university, Ries attended a guest lecture given by Harvey Littleton. Littleton was struck by Ries's accomplishments as both a glass artist and teacher, and asked Ries to become his research assistant at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Ries accepted the offer and spent the next two years under the mentorship of Littleton. Ries's interest in glass's optical properties grew, and began carving cold glass instead of blowing hot glass. Tools to sculpt large blocks of glass weren't available at the time, so Ries independently developed much of the equipment he needed during his spare time. He graduated the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1978 with a master's degree in fine arts and returned to Columbus where he has developed a reputation as an innovative glass artist and sculptor.