Collection Search | Corning Museum of Glass

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Object Name:

Sculpture

Title:

Shirts, Cherries, and Snowflakes, Of Course

Maker(s):

Ruffner, Ginny (American, b. 1952), Artist

Minson, James (b. 1962), Assistant

Place Made:

United States, WA, Seattle

United States, NY, New York City (decoration)

Accession Number:

93.4.89

Dimensions:

Overall H: 50.4 cm, W: 37.7 cm, D: 35 cm

Location:

On Display

Date:

1993

Web Description:

Ginny Ruffner, who was trained as a painter, is an influential artist and teacher internationally recognized for her flameworked sculptures in glass. While small-scale flameworking was traditionally executed with soft, soda-lime glasses, Ruffner adapted her knowledge of harder, borosilicate glasses, used in scientific glassmaking, to art. Her upbeat sculptures, which refer to personal experiences, memories, and ideas, are sandblasted and covered in paints and pencils.

More Info

Department:

Postwar and Contemporary

Provenance:

Heller Gallery, Source

1993-12-07

Category:

Color:

Technique:

Material:

Inscription:

Ginny Ruffner

signature

Painted on underside of colorless rod going to lower snowflake in green

93 Ginny Ruffner

signature

Painted on curved foot (leg) in silver

Description

Primary Description:

Colorless non-lead borosilicate rods, colored pencil, oil paint; flameworked glass rods, hand applied decoration. Pyramidal openwork sculpture comprised of horizontal "branches" extending from central vertical "zigzag" rod; branches end in large non-identical snowflakes painted overall opaque white with gold accents and center painted flower blossom; four short-sleeved shirts, each painted on outer surface with intricate plant patterns, are interspersed among snowflakes as are multiple cherry and stem pairs painted in translucent red and green; sculpture stands on six feet/legs; short sections of central branch and legs have painted pattern of red and brown "knots" on a blue background; painted silver script on one curved leg: "93 Ginny Ruffner"; painted green on underside of low branch: "Ginny Ruffner".