David Ruth
“One thread running through my work is a connection to nature. Casting natural forms in glass has given me a way to be in dialogue with nature — so rewarding I have spent five decades refining its use in my sculpture. Glass, with its transparency and malleability, is all about light. Glass is also an entirely artificial material, with little parallel in nature. Recently, exploring new applications of the geologic molds, I have been experimenting with making castings with paper pulp. These have proven to be a vital way to extend the artistic reach of the textures we captured for the Colorado Cascade and Geologic Editions. In contrast to working with glass, I enjoy the soft messiness of casting with fibrous paper pulp.”
David Ruth, an Oakland, California based glass sculptor, has been making large-scale cast glass sculptures and cast glass architectural features for over 30 years. Often featuring bright colors and contrasting polished surfaces with rough textures, the work has been featured in architecture, museums, and in galleries around the world.
In 2006 Ruth received an award from the National Science Foundation Artists and Writers Program for travel to Palmer Station, Antarctica. The exploration and work from this residency would become the foundation to his most recent work: Geologic Editions and Sculpture. This body of work focuses on geology and climate expressed through cast glass usually supported by metal.
Cast Paper Sculpture
Cast Glass Sculpture
