Artist of the Month
July 2021
Pohlman & Knowles
Jenny Pohlman and Sabrina Knowles have collaborated for 28 years; in 2018 the Bainbridge Island (WA) Museum of Art presented a 25-year retrospective of their work. During this time, the artists have continued to exhibit a common thread of creativity, expression, and inspiration as “students and seekers.” Pohlman and Knowles have been represented by Duane Reed Gallery for 21 years.
Click on each photo to the right for a full picture.
Black Eye, Framed, 2021; 17 h x 19.75 s x 6 d (inches); original image, screen-printed kiln-fired enamels, blown, sandblasted, mirrored glass, steel with patina and paint
Crow with Cottonwood, 2015-2021; 26 h x 14.5 w x 4.5 d (inches); original image, screen-printed kiln-fired enamels, blown, sandblasted, mirrored glass, steel with patina and paint
Geode with Traveler, 2021; 11.5 h x 11.5 w x 4.25 d (inches); original image, screen-printed kiln-fired enamels, blown, sandblasted, mirrored glass, steel with patina and paint
Woman with Birds, 2021; 12.25 h x 12 w x 2.75 d (inches); original image, screen-printed kiln-fired enamels, blown, sandblasted, mirrored glass, steel with patina and paint
Tree with Bench, 2021; 14 h x 13.5 w 4.25 d (inches); original image, screen-printed kiln-fired enamels, blown, sandblasted, mirrored glass, steel with patina and paint
Moon Tree, 2021; 8 h x 8 w x 2 d (inches); original image, screen-printed kiln-fired enamels, blown, sandblasted, mirrored glass, steel with patina and paint
Two Birds, 2021; 13.5 h x 13.25 w x 4 d (inches); original image, screen-printed kiln-fired enamels, blown, sandblasted, mirrored glass, steel with patina and paint
Santa Fe Cottonwood, 2015-2021; 22.5 h x 22.5 w x 3.5 d (inches); original image, screen-printed kiln-fired enamels, blown, sandblasted, mirrored glass, steel with patina and paint
Pohlman & Knowles
Artist Statement:
From our earliest collaborative efforts, we have explored the feminine fluidity, curvature, strength, and plasticity inherent in glass. The innate three-dimensionality of molten glass assists with our design visions, and we often see new forms emerging from the forms we are working on in the hot shop. These glimpses into the next possibility fuel our enthusiasm and the direction of our designs.
Our inspiration comes from own life experience, whether that be from day-to-day life, our travels, or our studies of both ancient and contemporary cultures with an emphasis on women.
It is our intent to create sculptural forms and assemblages that evoke the sensuous curves of the feminine and provide a narrative that embraces our common humanity.
About Pohlman & Knowles
Seattle-based artists Jenny Pohlman and Sabrina Knowles began their collaboration in 1992. They use a variety of materials in their rich assemblages, including hot-sculpted glass, metal works, and photography taken from their own trips and experiences, achieving a fine sense of formal balance. They have undertaken six international two-month journeys absorbing religious beliefs, political histories, current affairs, architecture, social structure, and people’s personal stories. After a lengthy time of reflection they morph their experiences into sculptural stories. Their intention is to create works that speak of our common humanity.
The artists' work is in the collections of the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Flint Art Institute, Henry Ford Museum, Lowe Museum of Art, Mobile Museum of Art, Museum of American Glass, Museum of Glass, National Liberty Museum, New Bedford Museum of Glass, Racine Art Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, and the Imagine Museum among others. In 2018 the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art presented a retrospective of their work, “SYNCHRONICITY: Twenty-five Years of Collaboration," and published a book on their artistic career.
Their current body of work made during the Covid pandemis is an example of the utmost need for creativity during a time of worldwide shut down. Without the access to a hot shop or “in person” community, the artists found ways to utilize techniques they have developed and combined that culminated in a gifted presentation of glass, metals, photography, and vision. True artists must always create, and Jenny and Sabrina did not disappoint.
Click here for the artists' resume.
Acknowledgment of Gallery:
We are grateful to Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri, for providing the Artist of the Month.
The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to further the development and appreciation of art made from glass.
The Alliance informs collectors, critics and curators by encouraging and supporting museum exhibitions, university glass departments and specialized teaching programs, regional collector groups, visits to private collections, and public seminars.
