KAREN LAMONTE (1967 -)
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ARTWORK
This sculpture represents a human “figure,” however the person is not present, just the person’s garment. It is life-size, and is cast in glass in three pieces. In this case, the garment shown is a kimono, a traditional robe that is worn in Asia, particularly in Japan and in China.
There is no trace left of the person who originally modeled for this sculpture; only her posture showing a slight forward bow from the waist with arms relaxed at her sides. This stance conveys many human characteristics, among them humility, grace, modesty, and elegance. The glass of the kimono appears very tactile and soft, revealing all the wrinkles and creases of the fabric, belying the hard, glossy sheen that characterizes a glass surface.
There is no trace left of the person who originally modeled for this sculpture; only her posture showing a slight forward bow from the waist with arms relaxed at her sides. This stance conveys many human characteristics, among them humility, grace, modesty, and elegance. The glass of the kimono appears very tactile and soft, revealing all the wrinkles and creases of the fabric, belying the hard, glossy sheen that characterizes a glass surface.
ART HISTORY
Fashion history and art history, particularly classical sculpture, directly inspired LaMonte's cast glass sculpture. This is seen in her emulation of draped fabric and also in her removal of heads and limbs that leaves her works resembling many Greek and Roman antiquities. Gian Lorenzo Bernini's (Italian 1598-1680) marble Ecstasy of Saint Theresa, 1647-1652 from the Cornaro Chapel in Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome is a specific inspiration in posture and draping.
LaMonte’s work also falls within the realm of twentieth-century Studio Glass, a movement that began in the early 1960s when individual artists began to look for ways to produce glass art outside of factory settings where it had been traditionally made by teams of craft persons.
LaMonte’s work also falls within the realm of twentieth-century Studio Glass, a movement that began in the early 1960s when individual artists began to look for ways to produce glass art outside of factory settings where it had been traditionally made by teams of craft persons.
ARTIST
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Karen LaMonte grew up visiting world-class museums such as the Frick Collection and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It was in institutions such as these where she encountered classical Greek and Roman statuary, 19th-century neoclassic marbles and Baroque paintings, objects that later provided inspiration for her own art. Her inspirations were only part of the equation however; LaMonte also attended the Rhode Island School of Design to learn the techniques necessary to create her complex works. There, LaMonte initially studied painting and printmaking before turning to glass. In regard to finding a medium for her art, she says, "I felt limited by painting so I started looking around for other things. When I discovered glass I knew that was it. Working with glass is really challenging physically, which I really like because I think I'm hyperactive."
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CONNECTIONS
Clothing is often a reflection of the personality of the wearer, chosen specifically to project an image, or, on the other hand, perhaps as a disguise or camouflage. LaMonte says, "Apparel radiates its wearer's physicality like a discarded shell or an outermost layer of skin. It is our second skin, our social skin." The different purposes of clothing can be seen in other objects in the Museum’s collection. William Merritt Chase, Woman in a Chinese Robe, 1881, shows a woman wearing a kimono as a costume. She is not Chinese, but she is a model dressed in the kimono, most likely because the exotic, foreign appeal and coloration may have inspired the artist. In George Luks, Tea Party, 1922, the heavy clothing the women are wearing demonstrate practicality (they are dressed warmly to protect from cold), and the functional clothing makes the women appear to blend into their environment. Their clothing makes them fit in, not stand out. This sculpture was too large to be cast as one piece, so it was molded and cast in three separate pieces. This upright figure, with its horizontal divisions, reminds one of the way the columns on buildings used to be made in segments. Clarence Laughlin, The Enigma, 1941, shows columns that would have been constructed in this manner. The posture of the figure mimics that of the column and implies strength.
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William Merritt Chase, Woman in Chinese Robe, 1881, oil on canvas; George Luks, Tea Party, 1922, oil on canvas; Charles Laughlin, The Enigma, 1941, gelatin silver print.
DISCUSSION
Before making this sculpture, LaMonte went to Japan and learned about the history of the kimono, how they are made, and the meanings attached to how the kimono is worn. LaMonte discovered that kimonos are very uncomfortable to wear, partly due to the padding of the wearer's body to create a perfect spherical shape that obscures the natural curves and particulars of the individual body. This is done to erase the individual in order to become purely Japanese. Do we have clothing that we as Americans, or groups of Americans, wear to make ourselves conform to or claim membership in the group? The figure here is bowing. In Eastern cultures, this is often a form of greeting.