Steve Tobin (American, b. 1957) Cocoon Art Glass Sculpture

Steve Tobin (American, b. 1957) Cocoon Art Glass Sculpture, Murano, Italy, late 20th century, textured gold iridescent glass cylinder wrapped in a coil of black glass, unmarked, lg. 32 in.

Note: Tobin received international acclaim for his massive work, Trinity Root, installed at St. Paul's Chapel in Lower Manhattan, New York, in 2005. During the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the chapel had been partly shielded from damage by a 70-year-old sycamore tree. Tobin's bronze sculpture of the tree's stump and roots has attracted millions of visitors and is permanently sited on the corner of Wall Street and Broadway. In museum and gallery installations around the world, Tobin has exhibited work in metal, glass and other media-works he describes as "monuments to the meeting of science and art." Wondrous nature, order versus chaos, and cause and effect are central themes of his sculptures, enabling his works to resonate across a wide variety of audiences.

Tobin was first known for his glass work. However, he later began constructing epic sculpture using bronze, steel, and found objects. Specifically, he has evolved his most famous Roots into stylized and graceful linear elements. Tobin is also recognized internationally for his strong yet elegant interpretations of elements from the natural world. Tobin declares that the objective of his art is to redirect our attention back to the life of nature. Projects such as Earth Bronzes, Termite Hills, and Exploded Clay epitomize his fascination and success in capturing overlooked and hidden aspects of nature. Tobin furthermore incorporates his scientific insight into projects like Exploded Clay through his manipulation of explosives to haphazardly transform a solid block of clay into a fragmented, hollow form-a process and result that Tobin views as a microcosm of the natural world and universe.

Tobin has exhibited extensively in the United States, Canada, Finland, Switzerland, France, and Belgium. His works are in several permanent collections, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the White House, Grounds for Sculpture, the Phillip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, and the Museum of Art and Design in New York. (Michener Art Museum)
Estimate $200-400

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