Thomas Glassford | Solar Plexus: Quint Contemporary Art: 7547 Girard Avenue
Quint Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of SOLAR PLEXUS, an exhibition of new sculpture and works on paper by artist Thomas Glassford. SOLAR PLEXUS concentrates on nature’s radial patterns by dissecting and splaying onto strict rectilinear reliefs. The artworks are alchemically molded from mirrored acrylic, anodized aluminum, holographic paper and fluorescent pigment. This is the third exhibition for Glassford at Quint Gallery. The opening reception is on Saturday, January 10th from 6-8pm and is open to the public; the artist will be in attendance.
Deriving from naturally explosive forms that inevitably push to the exotic, this recent suite encapsulates a tropical, emotional climate where reflective contorted surfaces act as portals – holding the viewers residual energy while distorting their perspective. Drawing from the microscopic to the macro, or inverse, the structured framework weave forms that range from zebra stripes, leaf structures, light rays to cancer cells and orchids.
Glassford has worked with mirrored surfaces for the past twenty years, and these pieces have transcended from minimalist geometric meditations back to an earlier signature of organic forms. The artist has likened these reflective works to the way a bowerbird collects shiny and brightly colored objects to decorate their nests so to entice a mate. Collective consumption and social seduction are part of the artwork’s conceptual backbone, as is the proclivity to distort and reflect, which the pieces achieve with their concave and convex forms. The mirrored quality of the work envelops the viewer, reflecting back the distorted self and all else in one’s visual confluence. Ultimately, the spectator becomes a part of the piece.
Glassford was born in Laredo, Texas, and currently lives and works in Mexico City. His work has been shown in numerous gallery exhibitions in Houston, Mexico City and San Diego as well as in institutions like the Museo de Monterrey, UNAM in Mexico City, the Museum of Fine Art, Houston, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, the New Museum, New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego. To mark the 100th anniversary of the National University of Mexico in Mexico City, Glassford was commissioned to create a public art piece, which created a “sign of life” at the heart of Tlatelolco plaza using LED lights. Glassford’s work can be found in many collections including La Colección Jumex, Mexico; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas; and The Bruce and Diane Halle Collection.
