Glas Farbe Struktur by Ulrike Umlauf-Orrom

Artist list

Ulrike Umlauf-Orrom

After studying ceramics and industrial design in Munich, Ulrike Umlauf-Orrom (born in 1953) discovered glass as a material during her master studies at the Royal College of Art in London, to which she has dedicated herself ever since. Even after almost forty years, she still considers it the most fascinating of all materials. Again and again, she tries, using a variety of techniques, to make its wonderful immanent qualities visible, impressed by the metamorphosis the glass undergoes under her hands.

Her first works were freely blown drop-shaped objects, sensitively balanced, cut and provided with sandblasted textures, which partly penetrate the coloured transitions. Then Ulrike Umlauf-Orrom turned to sand casting, a technique that gave her greater creative freedom. Poetic sculptures were created, which allow many interpretations through the conscious use of different surfaces, colour and metal inclusions.

The desire to be able to work self sufficiently in her workshop and to hot form glass, finally led her to her variant of glass fusing, in which glass panes tinted with coloured enamel are melted in a kiln and formed into objects.

Since her studies in London, where she came into intensive contact with Japanese commercial art, she has been deeply inspired by the complexity of Japanese textiles. In her Fusing works, for example, she achieves glass of an almost material quality through parallel or intersecting colour lines that are optically interwoven. Expressive variations are objects in which the glass surface is broken up and enlivened by grid structures. In another work cycle, the upholstery objects, additional air pockets are melted down during the fusing process, inspired by the reinforcing plates of samurai armour. This gives the visual three-dimensionality of the surface its haptic quality.

Ulrike Umlauf-Orroms forms are of great clarity and rigour from the very beginning, in all three phases of the work. The passion for the material glass is combined with the designer's targeted planning and perfection. They are objects on the fine line between still functional, and freely developing art.

Her works are part of international exhibitions and numerous public and private collections. For her work, she received renowned awards and prizes, such as the Bavarian State Prize 2001 or the GEDOK FormART Prize 2005. Special honour and recognition of her "Japanese" aesthetics is for her the meanwhile 5th invitation to the International Kanazawa Glass Prize in Japan, which is awarded every three years.

A catalogue will be published to accompany the exhibition.


Opening
Thursday, 28 May 2020 18.30 to 20.30 h (if legal regulations permit).

Greeting
Prof. Dr Thomas Raff Chairman of the Bavarian Arts and Crafts Association.

Introduction
Claudia Hintsteiner, gallery owner GLASS ART Galerie innsbruck GLASKUNST.

Opening Hours
Monday to Saturday from 10.00 to 18.00 h.