Ice Meadows

Date

2012

Century

21st century

Medium & Support

Cast lead crystal on steel base

Technique

Cast and sandblasted

Style

Studio Glass

Object Type

Sculpture and Installations

Class System

Decorative Arts & Design

Class 1

Sculptural

Credit Line

Gift of the Artist

Accession Number

2019.13.01

ON VIEW

Description

Pillar of imperfect clear rectangle on top of gray rectangular base.

An ice meadow is a naturally occurring phenomenon that involves floating pieces of ice in the winter months to be washed up on shore and remain there until spring. The ice acts as a natural barrier to tree growth and helps to deposit organic materials on the shore that promote the growth of smaller plants. When a river is polluted, this natural process is threatened.

This work was inspired by a frozen lake, fed by the Cuyahoga River, that the artist and a friend visited during a teaching stint in Cleveland, Ohio. Polluted by the dumping of industrial waste, the Cuyahoga River famously catches fire, a fact Bernstein references in the polished section of the glass, where the water appears to flow rather than freeze. He was not only bringing attention this type of terrain, he was also commenting on environmentalism and the importance of a healthy river.

This was not the first time that river was part of a conversation about pollution and the environment. In fact a photograph of the Cuyahoga River on fire in 1969 was put on the cover of Time magazine and gained national attention. This focus on the health of our planet inspired the first Earth Day in 1970 and helped to pass The Clean Water Act of 1972.

[Source: Lola Clairmont & Museum Staff]

Label History

Bernstein, the son of established glass artists William and Katherine Bernstein, grew up in a creative environment in Western North Carolina with access to many of the artists of the American Studio Glass Movement. Known for developing new techniques, Bernstein first began using cast lead crystal when a grant from the American Craft Council encouraged him to experiment with the material. Although abstract in appearance, the artist considers this cast lead crystal work to be narrative. Ice Meadow was inspired by a frozen lake, fed by the Cuyahoga River, that the artist and a friend visited during a teaching engagement in Cleveland, OH. Polluted by industrial waste, the Cuyahoga River famously caught fire, a fact Bernstein references in the polished section of the glass, where the water appears to flow rather than freeze.

Exhibition Title: Asheville Art Museum: An Introduction to the Collection
Label Date: 2021
Type: Catalogue Entry
Written by: Lola Clairmont

Alex Gabriel Bernstein Born Spruce Pine, NC 1972 Ice Meadow, 2012 Cast lead crystal and steel Ice Meadow was inspired by a frozen lake, fed by the Cuyahoga River, that Alex Bernstein visited while teaching in Cleveland, OH. Polluted by industrial waste, the Cuyahoga River famously caught fire in the 1950s and 1960s, a fact the artist references in the polished section of the glass, where water appears to flow rather than freeze. Federal response to the fires eventually led to the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency. Bernstein’s work is a reminder that beneath beauty often lies such truths as humankind’s collective long-term impact on the environment and ability to enact positive change. Gift of the Artist, 2019.13.01

Exhibition Title: Many Become One
Label Date: Nov. 2019

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