STOCKBRIDGE, MASS.- This month, Schantz Galleries will be presenting both classic and contemporary works by Lino Tagliapietra, some series which have never before presented as a feature gallery exhibition. Blown or fused glass in the hands of Maestro Tagliapietra, convey his remarkable technical ability and communicate the expressive aesthetic of the artist; a light, intelligent and sublime presence. Maestro Tagliapietra will be present at the public opening of the exhibition, Friday, July 10, from 4-6pm.

Regarded internationally as the best glass blower in the world by his peers, and truly an inventive artist, Lino Tagliapietra is not one to rest on his past accomplishments. Celebrating 70 years of working with glass, he continues to be inspired to work on new concepts and designs. Tagliapietra has written that he is “…totally open. I think that what I like to do the most is research. I don’t want to represent Venetian technique only—even though I was born with it and it is possible to recognize it in my work. Your style is what you are.” He moves fluidly around the globe, incorporating nuance and inspiration from each place visited into a style that is uniquely his, never compromised but always enhanced. His generous spirit and gentle nature make him a true visionary, for whom a single color, a simple landscape, or a chance encounter inspires a masterpiece in glass.

Not limiting himself to only blown glass forms, the artist’s passion for his art has driven him to create large scale fused glass panels, using various forms of his own hand pulled canes, murrini, rondelle and glass pellets. Varying in size, some of the one to two inch thick panels’ measure up to eight feet tall when in the steel stand used to display the work. Subtle and strong, the fused glass panels are uncompromising paintings with glass and light.

Chicago, 2015 is a 40 inch wide fused glass panel composed with multi-colored, twisted glass rods and a beautiful blue glass frit. Closer inspection reveals thousands of tiny bubbles within the thick layers of blue glass adding a watery impression. Bold graphic design, the artist’s use of color and spatial relationships combine, evoking the hustle-bustle, of the city on the lake and the energetic city-beat music of jazz musician Wynton Marsalis. Lino has visited Stockbridge perhaps a dozen times, and claims his deep appreciation for the area. Who knows, perhaps there will be a namesake panel in honor of our beautiful Berkshires in the future!