Marvin Lipofsky is an accomplished sculptor who continues to leave his mark in the art world. Lipofsky developed his technique and abstractionist style by drawing on and expanding on the expertise of master artisans and glass blowers encountered during his travels around the world. Influenced by sculptors Peter Voulkos and John Mason, Lipofsky originally worked in clay, but his introduction to the use of glass through studies in 1962 with Harvey Littleton at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, marked a significant change in his work.
Lipofsky introduced glass as an art form in 1964 at the University of California, Berkeley, Department of Design, where he taught until 1972. In 1967, he founded and headed the glass department at the California College of Arts and Crafts and taught as a full professor until 1987.
As one of the early pioneers in studio glass, he pushed the possibilities of hand blown glass. Early in his development, he ventured to Europe to research and collaborate with European Glassmasters to gain insight from their long tradition. Since those early years, Lipofsky has continued to travel the world to work in factories in Asia and Europe to interact with other artists and designers.
Lipofsky’s use of vivid and saturated colors elucidate his forms; the semi-translucent glass draws the viewer to examine their depths. One becomes lost in his world, intrigued by the pastel-like tones, the curves, the fluid movement created by his dance with color and form. Influenced by painters of the 1950’s and ’60’s, the work of his glassblowing process is determined by what is available at the moment, while arrangement of color and his combinations of different hues is conscious and precise, inspired by his surroundings: the environment, flowers, mountains, trees, forests, weather and cultural conditions. Marvin Lipofsky’s sculpture is an expression of his world, which he permits us to explore through interplays of shape, form and color.
His sculptures are included in numerous museum collections throughout the world.
Website
http://www.MarvinLipofsky.com
