Specialist Otto Billstrom speaks to us about Bertil Vallien, a renowned artist in contemporary art glass, who has harnessed the ancient art of sand-casting glass to create a unique and distinctive body of work. In our upcoming October 31st sale, six distinctive idols, crafted using this technique, will be offered.
27 October 2023
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Bertil Vallien, a renowned artist in contemporary art glass, has harnessed the ancient art of sand-casting glass to create a unique and distinctive body of work. While sand casting is often considered less refined than the blowing technique favoured by 20th-century glass masters, it has become Vallien's hallmark. Departing from Greco-Roman traditions, he adopted this method in the 1970s and, by a fortuitous accident, developed his signature black glass texture while striving for a darker cobalt blue shade.
In our upcoming October 31st sale, six distinctive idols, crafted using this technique, will be offered. These enigmatic figures deliberately lack distinct features, encouraging viewers to project their own identities onto them. Rooted in his upbringing in a religious household, Vallien's art serves as a meditation on existentialism, prompting us to contemplate our place in the world and the journeys of our lives.
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