Thomas Blank, Masterpiece Swiss Contemporary Blown Matte Glass Sculpture Vase, 2001

Description

Thomas Blank was born in Berne, Switzerland, in 1973. He is a master of transformation, who has been investigating the … more Thomas Blank was born in Berne, Switzerland, in 1973. He is a master of transformation, who has been investigating the nature of glass for 20 years now, without losing his fascination for the versatility of this unique material. On his artistic voyage towards ever more sublime expression, he creates marvelous vitreous objects, both in terms of shape and color. The reflections, refractions, and optical illusions are especially appealing, and challenge the perception of the viewer. Thomas Blank is both an artist and a craftsman. During his art studies in San Francisco, he already used to work both as a glass-melting technician and as a glass-blower, and with cut and faceted glass. and he attended workshops by the famous Michael Schunke and Michael Schreiner. Later, he learned the Venetian technique from Josiah McEleheny (1998) and became the assistant to Simone Cenedese in Murano in 2003. Today, Thomas Blank teaches courses himself, works as a lecturer, and creates objects for artists and designers around the world. His works of art have been shown in Europe, the USA, and Japan. Many of them can be seen in numerous collections, including those of the Contemporary Art Museum of Honolulu (Hawaii) and the Museum for Design and Applied Arts in Lausanne, Switzerland.

This came from an important Northern California collection that included a wonderful selection of Murano Glass. Aldo Nason, Peter Shire and Ettore Sottsass, Murano master Gigi Toso. A descendent of the legendary Venini dynasty of glassmakers, Laura Diaz de Santillana Incalmo Vases, Lino Tagliapietra, Yoichi Ohira, Barbini. The Swiss glassblower Thomas Blank Vittorio Zecchin, Paolo Venini Ercole Barovier.


Biographical Sketch
1973 Born in Berne, Switzerland
1995 Business-oriented gymnasium, Collège du St.-Michel, Fribourg, Switzerland
2001 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture, with focus on glass, State University, San Francisco, USA
2003 Work as glass-blower and artist in his Berne studio, Switzerland
Exhibitions

2016 Solo exhibition Vitrum varium at WBB GALLERY, Zurich, Switzerland
2015 Murano-glass exhibition (cose fragili), Museum Bellerive, Zurich, Switzerland
2013 Vitromusée Romont, Romont, Switzerland
2012 Bestform 11, Kornhausforum Berne, Switzerland
2008 European Glass Context, Bornhom, Denmark
2008 Bestform 08, Kornhausforum Berne, Switzerland
2007 Verre contemporain suisse, Espaces Art et Objets, Lausanne, Switzerland
2007 Céramique ancienne et verre contemporain, Enghien, Belgium
2006 Design Labor, Gewerbemuseum Winterthur & Kornhausforum Berne, Switzerland
2004 International Exhibtion of Glass, Glass Art Museum, Notojima, Japan
2004 International Exhibition of Glass, Kanazawa, Japan
2003 Glass Now 03, American Liberty Museum, Philadelphia, USA
2002 Sanske Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
2002 Exquisite Vessels, Contemporary Art Museum, Honolulu (Hawaii), USA
Grants & Awards

2011 Project funding by the canton of Berne
2009 Project funding by the canton of Berne
2007 Project funding by the canton of Berne
1998 Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood
1998 Northern California Paperweight Collectors less