Anna Lee Chalos-McAleese

Exploring transparent media has fascinated me for years. I like the way light bounces around and through it. Creating illusions has always been front and center. Most recently, I’ve combined clear glass and plastic with solid cedar and sandstone from St. Meinrad’s quarry in southern Indiana in my continued quest.

The clear glass forms on display here, either make the stone or wood appear to float, splash or squash in some pieces. Memories of playing with soap bubbles or watching a full droplet of water roll off a leaf might come to mind as you wander through the exhibition. The lead crystal pieces appear to have surfaces lifted, pushed and pulled while playing with the light streaming through during the day. These forms are not to be seen as stagnant forms but rather “suspended moments”, caught for eternity.
Thanks to a Lilly Foundation Fellowship, I was able to study with the Czech glass artist Martin Rosol at the Corning School of Glass in New York. In July the grant enabled me to attend the Bullseye Glass Conference in Portland, which also contributed to this body of work.