Tiffany by Design is an exhibition of lamps and related materials made by Tiffany Studios from the permanent collection of The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass, Long Island City, NY. Curated by Nina Gray for the Neustadt Collection, the show explores the construction and design of Tiffany lamps made between 1900 and 1918.
Louis C. Tiffany opened his furnaces in Corona, Queens in 1892 to make his own opalescent glass which he marketed under the trademarked name "Favrile." He capitalized on the increasing availability of electricity in the development of artificially illuminated glass lampshades. The opalescent character of the glass diffused the light, and the method of constructing the shades was derived from techniques used in making leaded-glass windows.
Tiffany Studios produced thousands of lamps in hundreds of designs, although many of the designs were closely related. Examining the ways in which the forms, patterns and motifs were changed and adapted from object to object illuminates the design vocabulary of Tiffany Studios. The wide range of possibilities becomes evident with a comparison of a single design in different color schemes or a single motif in different shapes and sizes.
Tiffany by Design is organized in five sections and each focuses on a specific aspect of Tiffany lamps.
Section One, "The Making of a Tiffany Lamp," examines the materials and fabrication techniques of a leaded-glass shade.
The second section, "Pattern and Complexity," illustrates the range of Tiffany shades including blown glass, pressed glass, geometric and floral designs.
Section Three, "The Parts of a Tiffany Lamp," displays the various components that make up a Tiffany lamp including bases, finials, hanging hardware components, and examples of shades and bases designed as a pair.
The fourth section, "Variations of Design," highlights the way a single motif was applied to different forms. It also illustrates the impact of glass selection which can make two shades of the same design appear quite different.
Through a comparison of authentic Tiffany lamps with forgeries and reproductions, the final section, "Fakes, Replicas, and Reproductions," addresses questions of quality and authenticity.
Exhibition schedule:
May 9 – August 31, 2008
Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, TN
(Map)
www.fristcenter.org
October 7, 2007 – January 6, 2008
Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, PA
(Map)
www.allentownartmuseum.org
Riverside Metropolitan Museum, Riverside, CA
April 5 – July 8, 2007
Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, FL
October 20, 2006 – January 13, 2007
The Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages, Stony Brook, NY
February 11 – June 11, 2006
Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, KS
September 25, 2005 – January 8, 2006
Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY
January 29 – May 15, 2005
The Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery, Lebanon Valley College, Annville, PA
August 27 – October 10, 2004
Queens Museum of Art, Queens, NY
March 2003-June 2004
