Exhibit by Richard Parrish

The “feathers” in the Feather Light exhibit are the result of an experiment in flattening glass from 9mm to 2mm thick. The process is extreme in the fusing process, using high temperature and weight to make the glass so thin, yet remarkably strong. This exhibit also features several of Richards large scale Tapestry works that have been a staple of his studio practice for over 20 years.

Jessie Wilber Gallery
September 9 – December 22, 2022

Opening Reception

During the Art Walk on Friday, September 9th from 5:00-8:00pm.

Artist Statement

My signature Tapestry Glass has been a staple of my studio practice for over 20 years. The original idea came from observing the repeating rows of vertical lines in harvested grain fields. Over the years, the design and technique has evolved into intricate fiber-like pieces expressed in wall panels, bowls and plates.

Two years ago I started experimenting with flattening glass from 9mm thick to 2mm thick, using components from my Tapestry work. The process is extreme in the fusing process, using high temperature and weight to make the glass so thin. Early results resembled feathers and I was hooked. I have refined the process with more attention to colors and pattern. They are surprising strong for their thinness.

As an artist and an architect, I find inspiration in both the natural and the human-made environments. My work investigates the intersections and collisions between the natural landscape and the human impositions on that landscape. It is concerned with both physical and temporal conditions, rooted in the landscape of the intermountain west in the United States.

As an artist working in glass, I make a wide range of work from functional objects such as the Tapestry pieces, to fine art pieces to public art installations. The work can be wall mounted, such as the bas relief panels and the Tapestry panels; suspended such as in the Bozeman Public Library; installed as windows such as in the Synagogue of Temple Beth Sholom; or as mixed-media sculpture.

Artist Bio

Richard Parrish operates a studio for kiln-glass in Bozeman, Montana. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. He is represented by several galleries in the United States.