Art Commentary With Marion Wolberg Weiss

Dale Chihuly And Gloria Kisch At Vared Gallery

The East End is fortunate indeed to be graced this season with examples of Dale Chihuly's extraordinary glasswork. First, at the LongHouse Reserve as ball-like shapes floating in the lovely pond and now, at the Vered Gallery where a show of his pieces gives us a chance to appreciate his art up close. Thus, while Chihuly's glass forms were previously perceived as part of LongHouse's outdoor installation, they currently exist as separate art works.

Seeing the glass configurations in this way allows us to absorb the magnificent reds, wines and purples, of course, but also to observe the composition, lines, curves, and most importantly, the natural, inherent rhythms of the works. Chihuly's vessels are truly both man-made and derivative of natural forms, with an emphasis on the latter.

Most apparent examples are the pieces that resemble seashells and sea creatures. But the more we look, the more we perceive other primitive configurations like mushrooms. They are ultimately archetypical formations, suggesting protection, beauty, sexuality, stability and vulnerability.

Chihuly's employment of glass adds other important aesthetic and philosophical elements including a reflective nature that is not merely literal but figurative as well: the work's ability to conjure up its past, its self-reflexive origin of how the shapes evolved in nature.

Conversely, Kisch's sculptural forms present opposing sensibilities. Her use of stainless steel rather than glass evokes a less delicate concept, one that infers strength and security. The vertical pieces reaching up toward the sky come immediately to mind, their bases anchored firmly to the ground. If we were to use our imagination a bit, such forms resemble soldiers keeping watch, although the vertical stands of one work provide less security than we'd like.

While Kisch's flowers are arresting, they don't recall archetypical forms like Chihuly's either; even so, her standing sculptures carry with them a sense of the past, an evocation of distant cultures and practices.

What's fascinating is the idea that these pieces remind us of "characters," no matter from what time and place. Kisch has somehow managed to embody her work with the idea of personification: human qualities prevail in her inanimate objects. Thus, her figures suggest the traits of humor, gallantry and wisdom.

Works by Chihuly and Kisch will be on view at East Hampton's Vered Gallery until June 20.

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