108 Meditations in Saffron

Title: 
108 Meditations in Saffron

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Object Name: 
Beaded Sculpture
Title: 
108 Meditations in Saffron
Accession Number: 
2010.4.125
Dimensions: 
Variable; Display Board H: 7.5 cm, W: 116 cm, D: 38.5 cm
Location: 
On Display
Date: 
2006
Web Description: 
A parakeet bell, a Tootsie Roll wrapper, a syringe: the story of “Meditations in Saffron” begins in 2006 when David Chatt started walking through different Seattle neighborhoods. Initially, he was irked by the sight of the discarded things people left behind, but through the meditative process of beading, he came to see these objects not as trash, but rather as traces of human life.
Provenance: 
Chatt, David K. (American, b. 1960), Source
2010-08-23
Category: 
Color: 
Technique: 
Inscription: 
David K. Chatt / 9.06
signature
Engraved circular plastic container that contains feather Presumed a signature - writing is somewhat illegible
Primary Description: 
Beaded Sculpture, “108 Meditations in Saffron”. Red-orange glass beads found objects; woven. The artwork consists of 108 found objects that have been covered in individual threaded nets of red-orange glass beads. The objects are arranged by the artist in a specific configuration that may be square (white background) or rectangular (black background). Complete list of found objects, per the artist, is as follows: bottle cap, flip top cap as would be found on an inhaler, electric wire cap, pencil, construction debris, pacifier grip, bottle cap, washer, hang tag, construction debris, pencil, nail with plastic collar, soda can pull, lens from glasses, cap, paddle lock, reflector, soda can pull, pull sleeve from lid of plastic bottle, bladder from squeaky toy, cap, holder for a mini blind valance, hospital ID bracelet, golf tee, cap, hook used to hold retail item on wire display rack, motel room key identifier, foam from inside a hair curler, half of plastic Easter egg, wiffle ball, address book, guitar pick, battery cover for cell phone, liquor bottle, bottle cap, ring that holds cap to bottle, champagnes cork holder, Lego brick, section of hardware cloth, construction debris, cap, feather in circular plastic container that has the artist's signature etched on top, nail with plastic grip, needle cover from syringe, plastic flower, syringe, rubber ring, plastic disc, perhaps from a toy, cap from hardware bottle (small nails?), flip top from plastic candy dispenser, red glass bead on nail, cone shaped cap from top of tube, red felt ring, C-clamp, ammunition cartridge for cap-gun, plant identity tag holder, push pin, rail road yard debris, ticket, foam pad, folded Tootsie-Pop wrapper, pacifier, American flag decal, hair holder, "Try-Me” sample button from adult toy, dental floss wand, tasting spoon, hair clip, shower curtain ring, plastic bead, balloon, wine cork, finger cod, orange plastic triangle cap, ring that holds cap to bottle, disposable knife, container for disposable ear plugs, key, plastic ball, broken auto light, lip balm, plum pit, rolled up orange tape, ammunition cartridge for cap gun, unidentifiable debris, pencil eraser, clip on book marker, paper clip, electrical cap, wood tasting spoon, zipper pull, gum packaging, broken end of tooth brush, cigar mouth piece, rubber label, marble, unidentified detritus, crushed pencil, pull off ring for plastic cap, parakeet bell, cap with keeper attachment, felt tip marker cap, spray tip from aerosol can, eye drop dispenser, construction debris, quarter, ear plug, and a bobby pin.
CA+D Reopening 2020
Venue(s)
Corning Museum of Glass
2020 refresh of the Contemporary Art and Design galleries after the deinstallation of the 2019 temporary exhibition, "New Glass Now".
Venue(s)
Corning Museum of Glass 2013-05-18 through 2014-01-05
For 30,000 years, mankind has crafted beads from natural materials. With the discovery of glassmaking in the second millennium B.C., glass began to be used for this same purpose. Glass beads are universal. They have been produced throughout the 35 centuries of glass manufacturing, and by nearly every culture in the world. The glass beads and beaded objects on view in this exhibition are arranged thematically, comparing the manner in which diverse cultures have utilized beads, frequently for the same purposes, but sometimes for unique reasons. These themes explore how glass beads adorn the body and our possessions; how they convey messages about power and wealth, and identify the stages of human life; how they serve ritual purposes, as well as decorate clothing and objects used in rituals; and how they have been employed across the centuries as a means of exchange, both commercial and cultural. Through the centuries, beads have been made using a variety of processes. Understanding how beads were made has allowed scholars to follow the transmission of beads and beadmaking techniques across the globe. Across time and around the world, glass beads have become a common element of mankind. Through their manufacture and function, they are one of the strings that bind humanity together. “Life on a String” celebrates this common bond while also revealing the distinctiveness of different societies through their use of glass beads to celebrate their unique cultural heritage.
 
Fusion [A New Century of Glass]
Venue(s)
Oklahoma City Museum of Art 2012-06-14 through 2012-09-09
Organized by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, FUSION [A New Century of Glass] will feature 47 works from the twenty-first century that embrace the diversity and depth of the human experience. This profound and thought-provoking exhibition will include examples by 20 contemporary artists working nationally and internationally who have engaged the medium of glass as part of their artistic practice. The objects reflect a range of subject matter and style and relate to concerns of the present day. Artists explore themes of social isolationism, paranoia, the passage of time, and also address the impact of technology on humanity and the environment, while exploring the dichotomy of utopian ideals and the realities of modern daily existence. The safety and sacredness of the home, family life, gender roles, and interpersonal relationships are also questioned. Artists offer a new context for historical models and art forms, contrasting the inherent beauty and intrigue of glass with the artists’ introspective and personal approaches to the medium. EXHIBITIONS •Current Exhibitions •Upcoming Exhibitions •Past Exhibitions •Traveling Exhibitions •projectscreen FUSION [A New Century of Glass] June 14 – September 9, 2012 Organized by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, FUSION [A New Century of Glass] will feature 47 works from the twenty-first century that embrace the diversity and depth of the human experience. This profound and thought-provoking exhibition will include examples by 20 contemporary artists working nationally and internationally who have engaged the medium of glass as part of their artistic practice. The objects reflect a range of subject matter and style and relate to concerns of the present day. Artists explore themes of social isolationism, paranoia, the passage of time, and also address the impact of technology on humanity and the environment, while exploring the dichotomy of utopian ideals and the realities of modern daily existence. The safety and sacredness of the home, family life, gender roles, and interpersonal relationships are also questioned. Artists offer a new context for historical models and art forms, contrasting the inherent beauty and intrigue of glass with the artists’ introspective and personal approaches to the medium. Key works include Andrew Erdos’s Texture of a Ghost (2011), a 6 x 8 foot room featuring hand-blown glass sculptures and a video installation; Josiah McElheny’s Landscape Model for Total Reflective Abstraction (I) (2004); Luke Jerram’s E. coli (2010), which explores the tension between scientific objectivity and cultural perceptions of viruses, diseases, and bacteria; twelve snow globes by Walter Martin and Paloma Muñoz from the Travelers series; three stained glass light boxes by Judith Schaechter; and a recent body of work by Czech Republic-based artist Karen LaMonte that highlights the role of the kimono in Japanese culture. The centerpiece of the exhibition is Beth Lipman’s monumental sculpture, Bride (2010), a ten-foot, five-tiered dessert stand featuring handmade glass objects that rise, overflow, and then spill on the floor. The exhibition is curated by the Museum’s Curator for Collections Alison Amick and Associate Curator Jennifer Klos. The exhibition celebrates the Museum’s 10th anniversary in downtown Oklahoma City and is for exclusive presentation at the Museum.
Glass Beads: Selections from The Corning Museum of Glass (2013) illustrated, pp. 80-81, no. 49; BIB# 134720
Life on a String: 35 Centuries of the Glass Bead (2013) illustrated, p. 8, bottom; BIB# AI94015
The Corning Museum of Glass: Notable Acquisitions 2010 (2011) illustrated, p. 60, #41; BIB# AI86878
Recent Important Acquisitions (New Glass Review 32) (2011) illustrated, p. 103, top; BIB# AI95695
Artists and Objects (New Glass Review 28) (2007) illustrated, p. 10, #11; BIB# AI75159
108 Meditations in Saffron (2006) illustrated BIB# 120938