alison berger has been described as
'an artist whose medium is light and whose material is glass.'
she is an artist.
where she apprenticed with dale chihuly.
chihuly's work in blown glass is considered fine art.
dale chihuly | dusky sky chandelier
chihuly | halcyon gallery | 5 dec 2011-21 apr 2012 | london, united kingdom
photo credit halcyon gallery
click here to read my previous post about dale chihuly.
at RISD, she also apprenticed with chihuly protigee, james carpenter.
now, carpenter develops glass and material technologies to explore light as an architectural medium.
james carpenter design associates (jcda) | podium light wall | 7 world trade center | new york, NY
photo credit jcda
and, an MFA in architecture from columbia university.
she practiced architecture with bausman-gill in new york.
and then, with frank o. gehry in los angeles.
2 frank o. gehry | panama puente de vida museo | panama city, panama | opening 22 may 2014
photo credits (c) frank o. gehry and victoria murillo
1 
2 
1 frank o. gehry | preliminary sketches | panama puente de vida museo | panama city, panama2 frank o. gehry | panama puente de vida museo | panama city, panama | opening 22 may 2014
photo credits (c) frank o. gehry and victoria murillo
she is also a designer.
she designs lighting,
she designs lighting,
1 alison berger | pistil pendant light
2 alison berger | crystal sphere pendant light
photo credits holly hunt and plug lighting
and objects.
alison berger for hermes | the balance line tabletop collection
photo credit alison berger
site specific installations or commissions,
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2 
1 alison berger | installation | crystal vessels in large glass cages | comme des garcons store | tokyo, japan2 alison berger | commission | rain chandelier | dining room | actor jennifer aniston's home | beverly hills, CA
photo credits alison berger and alison berger
and now, furniture.
photo credit alison berger
i had the pleasure of attending spirits in glass, a private reception and presentation by alison berger, hosted by the kneedler|fauchere showroom during design san francisco 2014.
her presentation was energetic and funny.
she grew up in dallas, studied and worked in new york, and lives in los angeles.
no wonder:
'her manner combines the expansive friendliness of a native texan,
the energy and intellectual intensity of an erstwhile new yorker,
and the mellow openness of [an] angeleno...'
'the very bearable lightness of being' | by joyce lovelace | american craft magazine | february/march 2009
her style is simple and refined,
just like her work.
as an architect, she considered every building as a vessel for light.
as an artist, she considers the structure of every vessel.
her defined creative process is curatorial, artistic, and architectural.
she researches.
she sketches, draws, and paints.
she makes collages.
2 alison berger | bell tower chandelier
photo credits holly hunt | alison berger book-volume 2 and alison berger
she drafts plans, sections, and elevations.
and, she builds models.
1
2 alison berger | lantern pendant light
photo credits david lauridsen
'i start with a planned section and an elevation. but, soon the molten glass takes over...'
-alison berger
berger began working full time as a glass artist in 1995.
she works from her design studio in west hollywood, CA.
alison berger in her light filled design studio | west hollywood, CA
photo credit dave lauridsen
and, from her workshop in compton, CA.
alison berger in her workshop with master gaffer, jesus garcia | compton CA
photo credit holly hunt | alison berger book-volume 1
each piece of glass is hand blown, annealed, and then hand finished by berger's production team, using hand tools and traditional glass blowing techniques.
the process is time consuming, and physical.
each piece is blown from 12-15 pounds of unleaded crystal, which is finer than glass because it contains fewer chemical impurities.
manipulating the copper/sand/silver ratio in the crystal adds a yellow glow, which adds depth, reflective, and timeless qualities.
'i love it when people don't know whether my pieces are old or new.'
-alison berger
many of her pieces contain veiled historical references.
her pieces can be inspired by:
art,
antiquities,
scientific documents or instruments,
or even, flea market finds.
curiosity cabinet | alison berger's studio | west hollywood, CA
photo credit joshua white
during the creative process, she alters the scale and removes the decoration, which reduces an inspirational object to it's essence.
'i like my forms to be so simple they knock people off their feet.'
-alison berger
and then, she reinterprets the object in glass, a material that contains fire and light.
'glass captures the process of remembering.
and, as the light fades, forgetting.
light is the medium,
glass is the material and memory,
elusive as it is,
as an architect, she considered every building as a vessel for light.
as an artist, she considers the structure of every vessel.
her defined creative process is curatorial, artistic, and architectural.
she researches.
she sketches, draws, and paints.
she makes collages.
1 
2 
1 alison berger | form study 22 alison berger | bell tower chandelier
photo credits holly hunt | alison berger book-volume 2 and alison berger
she drafts plans, sections, and elevations.
and, she builds models.
1
2 
1 alison berger | section | lantern pendant light2 alison berger | lantern pendant light
photo credits david lauridsen
'i start with a planned section and an elevation. but, soon the molten glass takes over...'
-alison berger
berger began working full time as a glass artist in 1995.
she works from her design studio in west hollywood, CA.
photo credit dave lauridsen
and, from her workshop in compton, CA.
photo credit holly hunt | alison berger book-volume 1
each piece of glass is hand blown, annealed, and then hand finished by berger's production team, using hand tools and traditional glass blowing techniques.
the process is time consuming, and physical.
each piece is blown from 12-15 pounds of unleaded crystal, which is finer than glass because it contains fewer chemical impurities.
manipulating the copper/sand/silver ratio in the crystal adds a yellow glow, which adds depth, reflective, and timeless qualities.
'i love it when people don't know whether my pieces are old or new.'
-alison berger
many of her pieces contain veiled historical references.
her pieces can be inspired by:
art,
antiquities,
scientific documents or instruments,
or even, flea market finds.
photo credit joshua white
during the creative process, she alters the scale and removes the decoration, which reduces an inspirational object to it's essence.
'i like my forms to be so simple they knock people off their feet.'
-alison berger
and then, she reinterprets the object in glass, a material that contains fire and light.
'glass captures the process of remembering.
and, as the light fades, forgetting.
light is the medium,
glass is the material and memory,
elusive as it is,
[that] is my theme.'
-alison berger
crystal water bottles...
inspired by alchemy and baroque still life paintings.
1 
2 
1 willem claesz | still life with a gilt cup | 1635 | rijksmuseum | amsterdam, netherlands2 alison berger for blackman cruz | crystal water bottles
photo credits rijksmuseum and david lauridsen
the roman ring floor lamp...
inspired by a roman cup.
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2 
1 inscribed cup | mold blown glass | roman | ad 1-50 | the getty villa | malibu, CA
2 alison berger | roman ring floor lamp
photo credits the j. paul getty museum and holly hunt
the word pendant light...
inspired by leonardo da vinci's scientific and theoretical texts.
the lens sconce and lens chandelier...
inspired by a 19th century earring, found at a flea market.
2 alison berger | lens sconce
3 alison berger | lens chandelier
photo credits alison berger, holly hunt, and holly hunt
she recently launched a furniture collection called tables of the trade.
the collection currently includes:
a carpenter's bench,
a jeweler's table,
a writer's console,
a sculptor's table,
and a painter's table.
the design for the painter's table was inspired by a photograph of the studio of italian still life artist, giorgio morandi (1890-1964).
the drafting table in morandi's studio is covered with butcher paper.
berger abstracted the circular tracing patterns, worn into the paper,
and then carved the abstract patterns into the top of the painter's table.
2 detail | butcher paper on the drafting table in giorgio morandi's art studio | casa di morandi | bologna, italy
3 alison berger | painter's table
photo credits artstudioshare.blogspot.com, holly hunt|tables of the trade brochure, and holly hunt|tables of the trade brochure
the next piece in the tables of the trade collection will be an astronomer's table.
the bronze table will have a map of the constellations carved into the top.
but, instead of having a historical reference, the map of the constellations is product of alison berger's imagination!
the word pendant light...
inspired by leonardo da vinci's scientific and theoretical texts.
1 
2 
1 leonardo da vinci | study of the effect of light on a profile head | galleria degli uffuzi | florence, italy
2 alison berger | word pendant
photo credits leonardoda-vinci.org and holly hunt
inspired by a 19th century earring, found at a flea market.
1 
2 
3 
1 19th century earring, found at a flea market2 alison berger | lens sconce
3 alison berger | lens chandelier
photo credits alison berger, holly hunt, and holly hunt
she recently launched a furniture collection called tables of the trade.
the collection currently includes:
a carpenter's bench,
a jeweler's table,
a writer's console,
a sculptor's table,
and a painter's table.
the design for the painter's table was inspired by a photograph of the studio of italian still life artist, giorgio morandi (1890-1964).
the drafting table in morandi's studio is covered with butcher paper.
berger abstracted the circular tracing patterns, worn into the paper,
and then carved the abstract patterns into the top of the painter's table.
1 
2 
3 
1 giorgio morandi's art studio | casa di morandi | bologna, italy2 detail | butcher paper on the drafting table in giorgio morandi's art studio | casa di morandi | bologna, italy
3 alison berger | painter's table
photo credits artstudioshare.blogspot.com, holly hunt|tables of the trade brochure, and holly hunt|tables of the trade brochure
the next piece in the tables of the trade collection will be an astronomer's table.
the bronze table will have a map of the constellations carved into the top.
but, instead of having a historical reference, the map of the constellations is product of alison berger's imagination!
other new products, planned to launch during 2014, include:
the cage pendant light,
an openwork basket form.
inspired by an antique surveyor's cage.
the time chandelier,
with gears, weights, and counter weights.
and, candles, electrified pendants, and solid blocks of crystal.
inspired by the passage of time and clock mechanisms.
the bow chandelier,
with flattened pendants,
suspended from an expandable system of interlocking arcs.
based on a bowstring.
the moon pendant light,
with moon flask shaped pendants,
which look full from the front and back.
but, thin from the sides.
inspired by the moon.
half of the moon is always illuminated by the sun.
the changing positions of the earth, the moon, and the sun as the moon orbits the earth create the phases of the moon.
'the power of lighting is staggering.'
-alison berger
-alison berger
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