Artist Lecture by Karen LaMonte | Shaping the Invisible
What makes a sculpture come alive? For Karen LaMonte, it’s a combination of ideas, materials, process, and form. Delving into her own process, LaMonte shares her approach to developing conceptual frameworks and translating them into mesmerizing sculptures. Embark on the captivating journey of Shaping the Invisible: The Path from Thought to Sculpture as she reveals the essence of art creation.
© Karen LaMonte. Photo: Martin Polak
HYBRID PROGRAM
This lecture will be presented in the theater in the Ellen MacNeille Charles Visitor Center and will be livestreamed via Zoom. Visitors can submit questions for the speaker from any location.
IN-PERSON TIMELINE
5:30–6:30 p.m. | Explore Hillwood
- Enjoy Hillwood’s mansion, gardens, and greenhouse, and exhibition, Glass: Art. Beauty. Design. on view in the Adirondack building
- Find the perfect memento from your visit at the museum shop
6:00-6:30 p.m. | Member-only Wine and Cheese Reception
6:30–7:30 p.m. | Lecture
7:30 p.m. | Book signing. Karen LaMonte will be available for purchase in the museum shop. You can learn more about the book and purchase from the museum shop's online store here.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Working between the United States and the Czech Repu
blic, artist Karen LaMonte is best known for her enigmatic, life-size sculptures in marble, bronze, ceramic, and glass.
After exploring different glass techniques, including blowing and casting, LaMonte traveled to Prague in 1999 on a Fulbright scholarship to study Bohemian traditions of glassmaking and to further explore cast glass techniques. There she created her first major work—a dress absent the wearer. She continued researching clothing during a fellowship in 2007 in Japan, where the beauty of kimonos served as a new inspiration. Focused on clothes rather than the bodies they cover, LaMonte’s works are also inspired by the poetic painting of Whistler and by music. This is especially the case in her Nocturnes and Etudes series: at Hillwood, you can see Nocturne 1 on display in the Adirondack building and selections from the Etudes series in the mansion.
Photo courtesy of Karen LaMonte.
Explore the fascinating world of glass this four-part lecture series, featuring events with contemporary artists in the Glass: Art. Beauty. Design. exhibition.