A D B | A L I S O N B E R G E R
68 DIGS.NET
|
12.14.2018
"Glass captures the process of remembering and, as the light fades,
forgetting," says artist and designer Alison Berger. "Light is the medium,
glass is the material, and memory—elusive as it is—is my theme." Aer
working as an architect for many years, in 1994, the Texas-born artist
launched Alison Berger Glassworks in Los Angeles, where she is still based
today. Using age-old glass blowing techniques, she creates timeless light
fixtures, objects, furnishings and large-scale sculptures.
"My process is intense, physical, and time-consuming," Berger confesses.
"ough I love to experiment and push boundaries, my tools and techniques
are essentially the same ones used thousands of years ago. For me, there is
no other way. e history of glassblowing, that sense of the true touch of the
hand, is the heart and soul of every object I make." Quick to acknowledge
her talent are international brands, especially in the fashion world. Berger
was the first American artist to design a line of accessories for Hermès and
was commissioned—along with other artists—by Rei Kawakubo, founder of
Comme des Garçons, to create an architectural installation as a backdrop
for her glass objects at the company's showroom in Tokyo. Delicate and full
of energy, Berger's work is also revered by the art world. Some of her pieces
are part of the permanent collection of the Corning Museum of Glass. Others
have been exhibited at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in
New York and the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington.
"My work is based on the visual vocabulary that societies create to
manifest their beliefs, desires and rituals," explains Berger of objects
including Victorian fly traps, fireflies, apothecary jars and devices of
measure that have inspired this work. "I am drawn to these pieces because
they are simultaneously enigmatic and revealing in what they say about
the cultures that invented and utilized them. Rendered in glass, altered
in scale and stripped of decoration, their essence is exposed. ese pieces
represent a reinterpretation that makes them feel contemporary and Old
World. Like memory itself, these glass objects, sculptures and furnishings
transcend time and place." Elegant and subtle, all Berger's creations achieve
to capture the magic of light in a mysterious way. "Each one of my objects
is unique, yet as a set they feel related, like brothers and sisters," she says.
alisonbergerglassworks.com
W R I T T E N B Y K A R I N E M O N I É
HANDMADE
In her West Hollywood studio, Alison
Berger creates unique glass works that reflect
her reverence for time-honored techniques
ORIGINALS
(clockwise from top le) Crystal sphere chandelier; writer's table (opposite);
carpenter's bench; portrait of Alison Berger.
PHOTOGRAPHS:
COURTESY
OF
ALISON
BERGER
(CHANDELIER),
JOSHUA
WHITE
(TABLE
AND
BENCH),
AND
MONICA
MAY
(PORTRAIT)
