AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY
Authors:
Joshua Rose
Matisse and Caroline Etienne
Dr. Sven Hauschke
Charles A. Shepard III
Peter Bremers
With this publication Peter Bremers (1957) made the square into a round! The book weighing over 3 kilos, almost 7 pounds, measuring 30,3 x 30,3 cm square, about 12 x 12 inch, describes his life and works as a journey, making the circle of his vast collection round.
This extraordinary well-made book, with such nice design, paper, binding and printing is a feast to read.
The hard cover is white with the name of the artist in the colors of the combined works of his oeuvre on the spine of the book and a thoughtful personal text and portrait on the back.
With the Preface text for the Dutch edition by Caroline and Matisse Etienne, working with Bremers for more than 20 years after the first solo with Rob van der Doel in their Prague gallery in 1994, the gallery owners describe their relationship with the artist. In the international version this chapter is replaced by an essay by Sven Hauschke, director of the European Glass Museum.
The Introduction, executive Director of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. He sketches in his contribution the art of sculpture and specifically the art of glass sculptures by Peter Bremers in that context.
In the chapter Light, the interview with Joshua Rose starts on nature, environment, landscape and light. Already during his art education from 1976 to 1980 at the University of Fine Arts, Sculpture Department in Maastricht and from 1986 to 1988 at the Jan van Eyck Akademie, Post Academic Institute for Art & Design also in Maastricht, Bremers makes light sculptures using acrylic filters, lenses and prisms to stir the halogen light beams to project spectral colors.
The chapter Blown, commemorates the artist meeting with Andries Copier at a glass workshop in Maastricht, which turned Bremers career towards glass. The early work in blown glass and later Graal technique with large, good photos are shown on these pages. Bremers talks about the light that is always present in his glass sculptures, even when it is black and the light seems absent.
The painter Bruce Thurman describes the collaborative works that were so interesting to make because of the intriguing combination of both worlds: painted, narrative panels and integrated glass object. In the Magic of Graal, the fruitful cooperation with master blower Neil Wilkin from 1989 to recent years is the subject of the interview.
In Icebergs the text continues on exploring glass as a medium, as well as the significance of color. It also clarifies the artist’s voyages to Antarctica and the Antarctic and their influence on his work. It spurred Bremers to explore new sculptural forms within the theme Icebergs. Assisted by Michael Behrens and with the help of Czech professionals working in kiln casting glass techniques.
Canyons & Deserts, the opposite in colors and shapes, yellow-red sculptures populate those pages, with great photos of landscapes also made by the artist.
The chapters Nudes show human forms, often rather abstracted. Bremers talks about his difficult relationship with figurative work.
Outdoor gives examples of diverse objects created in low expansion glass, that are placed outside. This special glass is a result of the collaboration with Ruda Banas Glass and Studio Lhotsky. The shapes often have open core forms, penetrating the space.
In Inward Journey the artist shows his latest artistic development. With titles like Traveling, Perception and Transformation, the work is more contemplative. It relates to how extensive traveling has influenced him and how it has changed his world view.
The pages Projects, show commissioned work and the use of different approaches and techniques, relevant to specific architectural sites and it inhabitants. The colophon ends the book.
In the Dutch version, there is an extra chapter: Collectors. 20 pages where a selection of collectors wrote Dutch texts on their experiences with collecting Bremers’ works.
All glassmakers whom Bremers works with are shown on photos throughout the book.
A book as a precious possession, to read and to study how Bremers’ work developed.
Price:
Europe € 69 excl. shipping, rest of the world $99 USD excl. shipping.
To be ordered via [email protected]
Edition: 2,000
ISBN/EAN 978 90 8055511 0 7
Publisher: Peter Bremers
P.O. Box 27
6120 AA Born
The Netherlands