Artists 1-10

Ron Arad
A flexible bookcase, "Bookworm" is both functional and a work of art. The bright colors catch the eye, and the flexibility of the material enables the viewer to interact with the piece.
Antonio Testa
This micromosaic, "Panoramic View of Rome From the Janiculum Hill," from 1800-25 supposedly took Testa 20 years to complete*. I’ve always been impatient with my art, and the example of this artist’s dedication and patience to an obviously challenging work is inspiring. The message I took away from this piece was that it’s okay to slow down and take your time, and even work on multiple pieces at once- as long as you get it done in the end.
*According to the Victoria and Albert Museum: http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/57001-popup.html
Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham was an English book illustrator and he lived from 1867 to 1939. He illustrated several well-known works, such as a British version of the Grimm Fairy Tales, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carrol. I saw a collection of Arthur Rackham’s illustrations in the Victoria and Albert museum in London, and was drawn to his use of lines and often muted colors. I had also seen his illustration of Richard Wagner’s /The Ring/, “Rhine Maidens Warn Siegfried,” referenced in an article on water spirits, and loved the whiplash curves of the maidens’ hair and the low saturation of the piece in general. I’d explored the idea of illustration briefly at the beginning of the summer, when I viewed Rackham’s works at the V&A.

Dan Flavin
Dan Flavin worked primarily in the medium of florescent light, altering the medium to suit his ideas. Rather than crafting custom neon lights, Flavin used readily available florescents in common sizes, beginning with only straight lights, but progressing to circular and curved shapes later in his career. This particular work takes advantage of light's natural diffusion, reflecting the image in shattered material and the floor, even as the lights cast a colored glow against the wall.

5] Danny Lane
Danny Lane's glass sculptures such as "Parting of the Waves"
highlight the fluid nature of molten glass, while his furniture uses a comparatively fragile medium to challenge expectations.

6] Bjorn Wiinblad
Wiinblad designed exquisite pen patterns for porcelain pieces ranging from vases to dinner sets. His use of a single color in this series keeps the complicated line drawing from overwhelming the delicate porcelain.

7] Cicely Mary Barker
With a strong attention to detail, Barker renders the elderberry plant beautifully. The contrast between her comparatively strong outlines and the delicate wash of the leaves and backgrounds is particularly stunning, as is the juxtaposition of the dark blue-black berries against the light background.

8] Charles Robinson*
9] Charles Sheeler*
10] Caspar Wolf*

*These artists will be discussed in depth separately.