Jamie Boyd at Janovec Gallery
JANOVEC GALLERY
May Exhibition
Jamie Boyd – FIGURES AND PORTRAITS IN GLASS
May 6 – 29
First Friday Reception
May 7, 2010, 6-9 PM
Jamie Boyd, a glass artist living in Astoria, transforms her pen and ink washes of figures and portraiture into glass artwork. She enjoys the challenge of moving a one-dimensional image toward a more sculptural form. Inspired by Seurat and Chuck Close, her recent series reflect the look of pointillism, where an image appears abstract when viewed up close, but when viewed from a distance, the components blend into a portrait. Jamie captures emotion through the shapes and shadows of the face or figure, using cut string and found-glass shapes in a kiln-formed method. Using fewer tones or values keeps a sense of connection between an original sketch and the new glass form.
Over the years, new inventions of kiln-formed glass have freed the medium to allow for greater expression. Glass allows light to be infused into her portraits and the intensity of illumination of color create extra dimensions. Not only does glass teach her to see in a new way, Jamie finds it encourages the viewer to be more actively involved with the subject, encouraging them to come closer, to want to touch a piece to test its reality and texture.
What an exciting time to be working in glass, with its renaissance pulling so many artists across the boundary of craft into fine art. In 2006, Jamie taught and studied at the Bullseye Glass Company’s BeCon Conference where the workshops she attended provided instruction in painting with light, box-casting and compound imagery by layering glass.