Anna Boothe
Mudra Spin, 2020
Lead crystal
10.5" x 10.5" x 2"

Artist Statement

My glasswork is comprised of one-of-a-kind sculptural vessels, flacons, goblets and other decorative objects. With technical inspiration taken from the late 19th C. French glass-casting technique known as pate de verre, a process that has its roots in antiquity and is defined by the heat fusing of small glass particles in molds, my objects are playful assemblages of colorful elements kiln-cast from lead crystal via the lost-wax casting process, that are then ground, hand-polished and combined. Conceptually and visually, my works elicit a sense of history and ritual. Their prompts derive from ancient cultures and nature. The forms interpret symbols from various sources and are imbued with a sense of preciousness and the intangibility, yet familiarity that is associated with collaged memory. Prominently featured is the hand motif as it represents a ubiquitous cross-cultural human tool of communication through its emblematic gestures of friendship, generosity, holding, letting go, etc.

Artist Bio

With degrees in sculpture from Rhode Island School of Design and glass from Tyler School of Art, Anna Boothe has worked with glass since 1980. Her work is included in the collections of the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass, Corning Museum of Glass, Museum of American Glass, Racine Art Museum and Tacoma Museum of Art.

In recent years, Boothe's work has been featured at the Albuquerque Museum of Art, Fuller Craft Museum, Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, and several venues in Venice and Italy's Veneto region. She is represented by 17 US galleries and museum stores. Upcoming in 2025, she will have a solo exhibition at Penn State University.

Boothe taught in Tyler's glass program for 16 years, then in 2004 helped develop Salem Community College's glass art program. She has taught at numerous US universities and schools, a short list that includes RISD, RIT, VCU, Pilchuck, Corning Museum of Glass and Urban Glass. Internationally, she has exhibited and/or lectured in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Israel, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, Taiwan and Turkey.

www.annaboothe.com

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