Desert Cactus
Artist
Robert Willson
(American, 1912-2000)
CultureAmerican
Date1994
MediumSculpted and gilded glass
DimensionsOverall: 18 3/4 x 13 1/4 in. (47.6 x 33.7 cm)
InscribedSigned by the artist in diamond point and dated 1994
Credit LineGift of the Duncan Foundation
Object number96.17
Not on view
DescriptionAbstract cactus composed of blocks of colorless glass encasing colored inclusions that as a group suggest an American flag. The trunk of the cactus is a vertical rectangle containing transparent red and opaque white horizontal stripes, six large, hot-applied cubes form the branches (they consist of tranparent blue cubes encased in colorless glass), and seven smaller colorless cubes with trapped air bubbles are hot-applied to form the blossoms; They are gilded. On the side of the trunk is a hop-stamped gilt medallion depicting a horse and rider.Label TextRobert Willson American, 1912–2000 Desert Cactus, 1994 Sculpted and gilded glass Gift of the Duncan Foundation of San Antonio, Texas 96.17 Exhibition History"A Texan in Venice: The Art of Robert Willson," Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY, May 15 - November 9, 2003. Published ReferencesMatthew Kangas, _Robert Willson: Image-Maker_ (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001), front cover.
late 19th - early 20th c
