There’s a reason why a Pyrex dish isn’t on display in the Ackland Art Museum right now.
Sometimes, despite the outward appearance of a vase or ceramic vessel, utility must be cast aside for the simple appeal of the visual.
That’s the central thrust of “Flowers from Earth and Sand: Art, Glass and Ceramics, 1880-1950,” the new exhibit at the Ackland. The exhibit opened Suxnday and continues until Dec. 12.
A collection of highly decorative glass and ceramic vases and vessels, the exhibit follows the Art Nouveau movement of the early 20th century through the development of its luxury art objects.
The exhibit is notable for its creative use of display space. Period glass heavyweights like Louis Tiffany are set in equal footing with more obscure European and American artists and design houses, allowing the common forms of the pieces to take center stage.
Surprisingly beautiful print material links the ceramic and glass forms to the larger thematic ideas of the period.
A particularly stirring section displays how proper lighting can dramatically alter the visual perception of glassware. With the help of strategic backlights, the subtle coloration of a murky and nondescript vase are illuminated.
Delicate glazes, creative sculptural forms and the innovative use of air bubbles as glass decorations help to make the exhibit a real triumph.
While the pieces in collection weren’t ever meant to be used in a formal sense, to see them is to truly appreciate their beauty.
