Guy Kemper

Guy Kemper (born August 28, 1958 in Louisville , Kentucky ) is an American visual artist .

life and work

Peculiarities of his art

Guy Kemper has been working as a painter and glass artist since 1983 . As far as the glass works of art are concerned, the artist tries to bring the components glass , color and light into harmony with the respective topic and location. His works in glass are large-format and an architectural component of the respective buildings and their surroundings. Since art glass windows and surfaces are seldom transportable and Kemper's works are placed in public spaces, they cannot be exhibited in museums, galleries and trade fairs, but can be publicly experienced in the place for which they were created. The glass works of art can be found both in sacred buildings and mainly in places where people are fleeting: in airports and at bus stops. The character of such a stay stands in stark contrast to the durable material glass, which was also created in an elaborately hand-made and mouth-made way. Guy Kemper's works can be seen in Europe as well as America and the Middle East.

Working methods

The artist draws on techniques that have become rare in the production of glass and works in the manufacturing process with glass refiners who use mouth and hand-made glass. This is the reason why Kemper works with and for companies based in Germany that specialize in these working methods. Kempers' works of art stand, as is intended, in contrast to mass-produced goods and differentiate themselves from short-lived, market- and price-oriented practical art as well as from digitally initiated processes. Handicraft is an indispensable part of his artistic creation throughout his life. It is not uncommon for Kemper to work artistically in the process of creating the glasses used.

Works (selection)

Ground Zero NY, St. Joseph's Chapel: Guy Kemper Rise (2008); Photo: Robert Benson

• Glass walls in the airports of Orlando, Baltimore / Washington (2005) and O'Hare / Chicago (2007)
• Rise glass wall , St. Joseph's Chapel , Memorial Chapel at Ground Zero in New York (2008)
• Current Work (2008): Sound Transit Station, Mt. Baker / Seattle and Clearwater / St. Petersburg

Honors

• OPTIME visual art award (2005), art award
• American Institute of Architects IFRAA / Faith & Form, Prize for Religious Art and Architecture (2003)
• BENE Honorable Mention visual art award (2003), art prize
• BENE and Honorable Mention visual art awards (2002), art award

literature

• Mathias Gubo: Art. From Taunusstein to New York. Episcopal Vicar Johannes zu Elz blesses the window for the “Ground Zero” memorial chapel. Aarbote from April 16, 2005
• Alexander Stahr: Art. Glass window for Ground Zero ( Memento from March 3, 2009 in the Internet Archive )

Web links

Homepage Guy Kemper with catalog raisonné, illustrations and references