Structure 23

Currently not on view

Structure 23

1984

Howard Ben Tré (American, born 1949)

Part of a series of architectural forms made by Howard Ben Tré after a 1984 trip to Greece, Structure 23 references columns found on ancient temples. Connecting the translucency and light-gathering potential of glass with geometry, this upright volume of solid glass shows the artist’s sensitivity to the material and the physicality of producing it by hand. Ben Tré’s background in foundry practices made for an easy transition to casting glass, considering that molten glass is called a metal. Cast in a single, solid piece, Structure 23 was conceived with a slight disjuncture between capital and column, giving them the effect of being stacked together.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Structure 23

Date:

1984

Artist:

Howard Ben Tré (American, born 1949)

Medium:

Glass, copper

Dimensions:

41 x 13 3/4 x 13 5/8 inches (104.1 x 34.9 x 34.6 cm)

Classification:

Sculpture

Credit Line:

Purchased with funds contributed by The Women’s Committee and the Craft Show Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1985

Accession Number:

1985-54-1

Geography:

Made in Providence, Rhode Island, United States, North and Central America

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Currently not on view