Dress VIII

Artist Karen LaMonte (American, b. 1967)

CultureAmerican

Date2002

MediumCast glass

Dimensions31 x 23 x 20 in. (78.7 x 58.4 x 50.8 cm)

Credit LineGift of Richard Waitzer in honor of Leah Waitzer and Museum purchase

Object number2003.8

Not on view

DescriptionThis is a two part kiln-cast glass child's dress. It is made of clear glass.

Label TextKaren LaMonte American, b. 1967 Dress VIII, 2002 Cast glass Karen LaMonte's extraordinary hollow cast-glass dresses explore her interest in marionettes, ancient marble sculpture, and historical costume design. In Dress VIII, the positioning of the arms suggests the confidence and poise of a young girl, and the simplicity of the garment has a timeless quality that evokes the spirit of sculpture from ancient Greece and Rome. LaMonte employs a lost-wax casting technique to make her large glass castings. The complex process involves making a wax model of a body draped with clothing. Mold are made from these models and then filled with molten glass at a foundry in the northern Czech Republic. Her sculptures are permanent and heavy but have exactly the opposite visual effect. They appear light, airy, and ethereal. They are the floating "footprint" of a human presence. Gift of Richard Waitzer in honor of Leah Waitzer, and Museum purchase. 2003.8Exhibition History"Clear as Crystal: Colorless Glass from the Chrysler Museum," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, December 19, 2020 - July 11, 2021.Published ReferencesJeff Harrison, _Collecting with Vision: Treasures From the Chrysler Museum of Art_ (London: D. Giles Ltd., 2007), 149, fig. 190. ISBN: 978-0-940744-72-1