Published by Ken Saunders Gallery 230 West Superior Street Chicago, IL 60654 www.kensaundersgallery.com © 2017 Ken Saunders Gallery All Rights Reserved Design by Amy Stieve Photos by Scott Bulger Photography
Published on the occasion of the exhibition
THOMAS SCOON: FIGURATIVE July 14 - August 30, 2017
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Thomas Scoon finds inspiration in the passing of seasons and in the rhythms of the natural world. In the pitch darkness of night, the artist has been taking long exposure black and white photographs. Through his viewfinder, he has discovered an aching beauty in the leafless branches of the towering Beeches and Oaks and has been inspired to add a cast bronze element to his work. The bronze branches embrace his figures even as he tries to suggest that the figures are growing out and away, entwined and blossoming. Thomas’ choice of material reflects the artist’s belief that the stone elements of his sculptures give the figures a timeless quality while the thick translucence of the cast glass suggests a spiritual essence. The figures are “about” family, relationships and history. The Seated Figures, noble, silent and stoic, are self-portraits; the glow of the glass when lit is a reflection of artist’s luminous inner self. This catalogue documents Thomas Scoon’s exhibition Figurative. The gallery is proud to present works in glass, stone and bronze by this master of the casting process.
Ken Saunders July 2017
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MATE No. 4 & 5 glass and stone 45.5 x 9 x 6 inches 2014
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COMPANION No. 2 cast glass and stone 50 x 13 x 8 inches 2016
COMPANION No. 3 cast glass and stone 49 x 12 x 8 inches 2016
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REFLECTION No. 3 cast glass 30 x 8 x 9 inches 2017
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ENTWINE No. 3 cast glass, stone and metal 40 x 40 x 9 inches 2015
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RELENTLESSLY QUESTIONING kiln cast and flame worked glass, sterling silver 4 x 5 x 3.5 inches 2017
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COMPANION No. 1 cast glass and stone 22.5 x 5 x 4 inches 2015
COMPANION No. 2 cast glass and stone 21.5 x 5 x 4 inches 2015
COMPANION No. 3 cast glass and stone 23 x 5 x 4 inches 2015
COMPANION No. 4 cast glass and stone 21.5 x 5 x 4 inches 2015
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ETHEREAL No. 2 cast glass 30 x 8 x 9 inches 2017
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SEEKER cast glass and stone 30 x 13 x 13 inches 2016
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SEEKER cast glass and stone 33 x 19 x 12 inches 2016
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CRYSTAL COMPANION No. 1 cast glass and stone 39 x 8 x 6 inches 2016
CRYSTAL COMPANION No. 2 cast glass and stone 33 x 8 x 6 inches 2016
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CONSORT No. 2 cast glass and stone 55 x 14 x 23 inches 2014
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 1991-present Independent Studio Artist 2003 Adjunct Instructor, Sculpture Department / University of New Hampshire 1989-90 Adjunct Instructor, Sculptural Glass Casting / Massachusetts College of Art 1984 Teaching Assistant, Glass Blowing / Pilchuck Glass School EDUCATION 1990 1988
Masters of Fine Art / Massachusetts College of Art Bachelor of Fine Arts / Illinois State University
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS Henery Ford Museum / Dearborn,Mi Knoxville Museum of Art / Knoxville, TN Mobile Museum of Art, Haverty Collection / Mobile, AL Hunter Museum of Art / Chattanooga, TN Casine Collection / Sydney, Australia Private Collection / Kingdom of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia Private Collection / Mumbi, India Art in the Embassy Program / US State Department, DC Detroit Institute of Arts, Chordorkoff Collection / Detroit, MI Glassmuseum / Ebeltoft, Denmark Detroit Institute of Arts, Robinson Collection / Detroit, MI Private Collection / Dubai, United Arab Emirates Private Collection / Delhi, India SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2017 Figurative / Ken Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL 2015 Companions / Ken Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL 2014 30 th Anniversity Exhibition / Sandra Ainsley Gallery / Toronto, Ont. 2012 Northwood New Hamphshire / Ken Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL 2011 SeaFair / New Arts Concept / Greenwhich, CT Scoon and Beck, Art Chicago / Ken Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL 2009 Figuritive Stones / Ken Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL 2006 Glass to Stone, Bronze to Bees / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL 2004 Sculpture of Trovia, Scoon, Knapp, Metal,Glass and Light / Skot Foreman Gallery / Atlanta, GA 2003 Entwined / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL 2002 New Work / Sandra Ainsley Gallery / Toronto, Ont. 2001 Stone Souls, Absolute Vision / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL Portals / Hodgell Gallery / Sarasota, FL 2000 Interiors / Habatat Gallery / Pontiac, MI 1999 Geologic Logic / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL 1998 Ancestors / Highline Gallery / Aspen, CO 1997 Absolute Visions: Fifteen Solo Exhibitions / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL 1996 Origins / Creiger-Dane Gallery / Boston, MA 1994 Genealogies / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL 1994 Recent Sculpture / Miller Gallery / New York, NY 1993 Seeking the Self / Dorothy McRae Gallery / Atlanta, GA 1993 Figurative Glass / Miller Gallery / New York, NY 1992 Sculpture of Scoon / Habatat Gallery / Farmington Hills, MI 1990 New Sculpture / Habatat Gallery / Farmington Hills, MI
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MUSEUM & UNIVERSITY EXHIBITIONS 2016 Nature of Glass / Contemporary Sculpture at Chesterwood / Stockbridge, MA 2015 Cutting Edge - A New Perspective on Glass / Sandwich Glass Museum / Sandwich, MA 2014 Glass Today: 21st-Century Innovations / New Britain Museum of American Art / New Britain, CT 2012 Contemporary, Anthropological / Burchfield Penny Art Museum / Buffalo State University / Buffalo, NY Haverty Collection of Studio Glass / Mobile Museum of Art / Mobile, AL Into the Light, Illinois Glass / Rockford Art Museum / Rockford IL Spark and Flame: 50 yrs of Art Glass / Chazen Museum of Art, Univ. of Wisconsin 2001 Celebration in Glass / Bachman Gallery / Northern Indiana University 2000 Millennium Glass: An International Survey / Kentucky Art & Craft Foundation / Louisville, KY 1999 The Art of Glass / Kleen Gallery, Elgin College / Elgin, IL 1998 A Passion for Glass / Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit, MI 1997 Blowing Hot, Cutting Cold: 35th Anniversary of the Studio Glass Movement / Lakeview Museum of Arts / Peoria, IL Glorious Glass: American & European Art Glass / Owensboro Museum of Fine Art / Owensboro, KY 1996 Nine Artist - Nine Visions / Decordova Museum & Sculpture Park / Lincoln, MA 1993 Glassforms / Fuller Museum of Art / Brockton, MA 1992 Contemporary Glass of Massachusetts College of Art / Sandwich Glass Museum / Sandwich, MA 1991 Studio Glass: Selections from the Chordokoff Collection / Detroit Institute of Art / Detroit, MI AWARDS, GRANTS, PUBLIC & CORPORATE ART 2017 Windgate Scholarship / Penland School of Crafts 2016 Scholarship / Pilchuck Glass School 2015 Honorable Mention / VGG 28th Annual Exhibition Juror Diane Wright 2014 Pilchuck Glass School Scholarship Scholarship / Corning Museum of Glass 1st Place / Glass Art Society Student Exhibition / Chicago, IL Glass Art Society Student Scholarship 2013 Rochester Institute of Technology Research and Creativity Grant Scholarship / Corning Museum of Glass 2008 Academic Award Emerge / Bullseye Glass 2007 Pilchuck Glass School Scholarship Rickert-Ziebold Award Trust Competition / SIUC PUBLICATIONS 2011 “Thomas Scoon Dialogues” / Hard Cover Book 2001 “Absolutely Visionary” / Where Chicago Magazine: July 1999 “Sculpting a Name for Himself” / Concord Monitor: April 1997 “Marx-Saunders Features Scoon Sculpture” / Daily Herald: July “Review” / Pittsburgh Post Gazette: May 31, 1997 1995 “Portfolio” / American Craft Magazine: November Issue 1994 “Vital Connections” / Gay Chicago Magazine: August Issue “Review” / The New Art Examiner: October Issue 1993 “Glass Motif” / The Villager: April 14, 1993 1992 “Review” / Glass Magazine: Spring Issue 1990 “Review” / The Boston Globe: July 19, 1990 “Corning New Glass Review” / #6, #9 & #10
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