Searching for Hand Blown Art Glass in Venice
The Red Elephant Gallery research team, namely the two of us, recently spent some time in Italy on vacation. Fact is, however, whenever we go on “vacation” we seem to spend a considerable amount of time visiting crafts people and studios in the areas we visit. If you’re romantic, we are, and if you’re in Italy, which we were, you have to visit Venice. It’s just not possible to miss this fantastic artistic city that seems determined to sink into the marshes from whence it came. There is nothing like a city of such history, such vitality through the ages, with amazing surprises at every corner to extract every last bit of culture out of you. And there are no cars, no bicycles, no mopeds, no Harley Davidsons with straight pipes, no skateboards, or scooters. In fact there are very few wheels to be seen anywhere as there is a canal to cross, a bridge to traverse every 100 feet or so which leaves walking and riding boats. Venice is a city of perfect pace ranging, from quiet contemplation to outrageous bursts of creativity.
This creativity is expressed through many media, but the one that is closest to our hearts is glasswork. The galleries and shops in Venice parlay an unending variety of glass, which is created on the nearby island of Murano. Yes, the Murano that inspired the Nissan SUV but more importantly the Murano that creates amazing hand blown glass that is shipped to galleries stores and homes around the world. Murano is reached by vaporetto, the city “buses” that are actually 40-foot passenger boats. The ride out is nice but when you land, actually crash into the steel dock, the amazement begins. There is a lot of hype in the travel and art world, but Murano is the real deal. The level of variety and quantity of production is simply head-spinning. We’ve seen a lot of glass in our time at galleries and shows throughout the US, but this was over the top. And to think it all starts its journey away from Murano on a 20-foot DHL delivery boat.
For me the most amazing pieces were the chandeliers. Although most of them weren’t really my taste and were totally inappropriate for our little home in Bristol you have to appreciate the work and sheer number of pieces of glass that go into each chandelier. There was everything from modern to enormous "how the heck did they get that thing up there” pieces that look like something straight from the movie Marie Antoinette (if you haven't seen this you should!)
On balance, however, despite the sheer number of styles and sizes of every type of blown and hand built glass we saw, at the end of the day I get more satisfaction from visiting the smaller glass studios of the artists we carry in the Red Elephant Gallery. The pieces that caught my eye in Venice reminded me of the artists we work with and admire here. In fact it was hard to find something I loved that I knew I wouldn't be able to find at home. I said hard, but certainly not impossible. In one section of Venice we visited a number of times we found a glass gallery owned by the artist and his wife with whom we spent a lot of time talking and learning. They also have a factory in Murano*. I found a pendant he’d designed with Murrini's in gorgeous colors that I just had to have. It’s similar in style to one of my favorite glass artist's in our gallery, Elodie Holmes, but I’m sure that just like our relationships with artists here the human connection made the piece all the more special. We understand this to be true for our customers as well, which is why on our site we identify all the artists and package each piece with an artist’s card that gives you a bit of detail about the piece’s maker.
Italy was a vacation in the end but what we learned in Venice will carry through our work here at the Red Elephant Gallery. The beauty, the pace, and the aura of Venice need to be experienced firsthand and our lives are far richer for the time we spent there.
This creativity is expressed through many media, but the one that is closest to our hearts is glasswork. The galleries and shops in Venice parlay an unending variety of glass, which is created on the nearby island of Murano. Yes, the Murano that inspired the Nissan SUV but more importantly the Murano that creates amazing hand blown glass that is shipped to galleries stores and homes around the world. Murano is reached by vaporetto, the city “buses” that are actually 40-foot passenger boats. The ride out is nice but when you land, actually crash into the steel dock, the amazement begins. There is a lot of hype in the travel and art world, but Murano is the real deal. The level of variety and quantity of production is simply head-spinning. We’ve seen a lot of glass in our time at galleries and shows throughout the US, but this was over the top. And to think it all starts its journey away from Murano on a 20-foot DHL delivery boat.
For me the most amazing pieces were the chandeliers. Although most of them weren’t really my taste and were totally inappropriate for our little home in Bristol you have to appreciate the work and sheer number of pieces of glass that go into each chandelier. There was everything from modern to enormous "how the heck did they get that thing up there” pieces that look like something straight from the movie Marie Antoinette (if you haven't seen this you should!)
On balance, however, despite the sheer number of styles and sizes of every type of blown and hand built glass we saw, at the end of the day I get more satisfaction from visiting the smaller glass studios of the artists we carry in the Red Elephant Gallery. The pieces that caught my eye in Venice reminded me of the artists we work with and admire here. In fact it was hard to find something I loved that I knew I wouldn't be able to find at home. I said hard, but certainly not impossible. In one section of Venice we visited a number of times we found a glass gallery owned by the artist and his wife with whom we spent a lot of time talking and learning. They also have a factory in Murano*. I found a pendant he’d designed with Murrini's in gorgeous colors that I just had to have. It’s similar in style to one of my favorite glass artist's in our gallery, Elodie Holmes, but I’m sure that just like our relationships with artists here the human connection made the piece all the more special. We understand this to be true for our customers as well, which is why on our site we identify all the artists and package each piece with an artist’s card that gives you a bit of detail about the piece’s maker.
Italy was a vacation in the end but what we learned in Venice will carry through our work here at the Red Elephant Gallery. The beauty, the pace, and the aura of Venice need to be experienced firsthand and our lives are far richer for the time we spent there.
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