MIT Celebrates the 50th anniversary of its Center for Advanced Visual Studies

March 12, 2018

CAMBRIDGE, MA — To mark the 50th anniversary of the MIT Center for Advanced Visual Studies (CAVS), the MIT Museum opened on February 15th an exhibition presenting a historical overview through selected works by CAVS research fellows, students and professors. Installations and videos at the Compton Gallery along the main corridor of MIT are the works of more than 30 past and current research fellows.

On view are time-specific works by Research Fellows and Directors, Gyorgy Kepes, Otto Piene and Dan Dailey, celebrating 50 years after the Center’s Opening by Kepes in 1967/68. In addition, a photo exhibit can be seen as of March 21st at the museum’s Kurtz Gallery: Kepes Photographs, MIT Years 1946-1985.

Dan Dailey, Light Bulb Prototype, 1976 sketches – 2018 modified prototypes — Dan Dailey, *Light Bulb Prototype*, 1976 sketches – 2018 modified prototypes

Glass has always been Dailey’s medium, using industrial processes to realize his vision. While collaborating with the Research Lab for Electronics at MIT, he focused on developing technical knowledge and recently prototypes for his thick light bulb sculptures. He defines them as ‘glowing elements inside a curved lens-like mass.’

CAVS was a bold experiment connecting artists with forefronts of science and engineering. New artistic media and methods, as well as scales of expression for expanding audiences were pioneered at CAVS through the art-driven, interdisciplinary collaborations that became its hallmark.

The Museum’s exhibition includes art installations at multiple sites within the Museum and in its Compton Gallery. Holograms, light art, and inflatable sculptures reflect the wide range of CAVS artistic explorations and achievements that changed the social standards of art. The exhibition will remain open throughout 2018.

Source: https://www.berkshirefinearts.com/03-09-20...

Orbit 1987. Cast glass, paint on board, steel. 9 x 16 feet — ***Orbit***
1987. Cast glass, paint on board, steel. 9 x 16 feet

Orbit, Originally in Rockefeller Center’s Rainbow Room, Finds New Home at Toledo Museum of Art

April 28, 2017

TOLEDO, OH — Formerly in Rockefeller Center’s Rainbow Room in New York, Orbit now resides in its new home outside the Little Theater at the Toledo Museum of Art. Donated by New York real estate firm Tishman Speyer, the 15 by 8-foot mural is a glowing work of glass with a changing lighting scheme that radiates shades of amber, rose, violet and blue. The muted, ethereal feeling the mural evokes contrasts with the images from ancient mythology, space exploration and science fiction that are cast into the glass.

Dan Dailey recreates the original backdrop that had deteriorated over 3 decades in the Rainbow Room

“It’s a pretty significant piece for me,” Dailey said. “When I think about my influences, many are revealed here. This is about a kind of wide-ranging view of things that are significant in the history of art and in the history of design, and the iconography of these things.

“In retrospect, as big as it is, I realize it was still a really personal object.”

Orbit, behind the Rainbow Room bandstand in Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center, 1987 — ***Orbit***, behind the Rainbow Room bandstand in Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center, 1987

Commissioned in 1986 for the Rainbow Room nightclub, Orbit’s first inspiration was the space’s revolving dance floor and iconic history. In 2014, almost 30 years later, the glass mural was removed from its location behind the bandstand when the Rainbow Room’s owners had it dismantled as part of a major overhaul of the club’s interior. It was saved and donated to its new home in Toledo, Ohio, in 2015.

“Orbit’s scale is one reason it’s quite an impressive glass sculpture,” said Halona Norton-Westbrook, the museum’s director of collections. “But it’s also special because of the level of detail that went into the work, so that it has visual impact both from a distance, as it was installed in New York, as well as close-up. We’re thrilled to acquire this substantial work in glass for TMA’s collection.”

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The installation of Orbit is the Museum’s third collaboration with Dailey; in 2007, he co-authored the children’s book “Glassigator,” and in 2008, he was invited to participate in the Guest Artist Pavilion Project at the Museum’s Glass Pavilion.

Source: https://www.toledomuseum.org/about/news/or...

Voyage2015. Cast glass, plate glass, aluminum, stainless steel, LED lights. 45 inch diameter face. — ***Voyage***
2015. Cast glass, plate glass, aluminum, stainless steel, LED lights. 45 inch diameter face.

Voyage — A New Sculpture at 555 Fifth Avenue in New York

January 15, 2016

NEW YORK, NY — ATCO Properties & Management has completed the installation of a custom cast glass sculpture designed by world-renowned visual artist Dan Dailey at its signature Midtown property, 555 Fifth Avenue. The work, titled Voyage, is now on display in the portico entrance on the sidewalk.

The remarkable sculpture is illuminated 24 hours a day. It functions as a clock, using computer controlled LED lights to indicate passing hours and minutes. According to Dailey, the sculpture is not intended to be immediately recognizable as a clock. Its complex form and deep blue center invite contemplation.

H. Dale Hemmerdinger, chairman of ATCO, says that the installation’s eye-catching design will enliven the property’s entrance and attract new visitors to the building. “We’re excited to be enhancing our public space with this one-of-a-kind handmade sculpture for our tenants and the community,” he said. “We are thrilled with Dan Dailey’s original and sophisticated design, which we believe will become an attraction for both our tenants and visitors walking along Fifth Avenue."

In total, the sculpture stands nine feet tall and contains 38 glass parts and 302 metal parts. The entire project took two years to complete. The work is Dailey’s 25th installation in Manhattan.

Dailey says the void of time is central to the sculpture. “It is an ethereal concept, yet it is a functional work,” he said. “The technical look and the complexity of the piece represent a new way of realizing an idea based on techniques and design concepts that have driven my art for many years.” He added, “There are numerous drawings in my sketchbooks over the past 20 years that show concepts similar to the clock. It just took the right client to trust me to follow this particular path of thought.”

Source: http://newyork.citybizlist.com/article/322...

Artist Talk at George Washington University Museum

February 16, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC — As part of the University's lecture series Voices of American Design, Dan Dailey spoke about his art and presented a photo survey of his recent work titled Visions Realized with Glass to an audience of 85 art collectors and connoisseurs on Thursday evening at the new Textile Museum's Myers Room on the George Washington University Foggy Bottom campus.

Voices of American Design is a dynamic series of lectures that explore contemporary design through textiles, wood, and glass. Celebrated artists working in these media discuss the influence of design masters on their work, the process of developing their own personal style, and the future of design.

The new complex, joining The Textile Museum with the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection will foster the study and appreciation of art, history, and culture, both within the university and throughout the global community. The new museum will celebrate its grand opening on March 21.

Source: http://museum.gwu.edu/dan-dailey

Byzantine Sconces  2002. Blown glass, bronze, aluminum, steel. (1 of 4)As installed at Restaurant Daniel, New York, 2002 – 2012Full assembly: 91½ x 13½ x 11½"  Glass assembly: 66 x 11½ x 11½" — **Byzantine Sconces**
2002. Blown glass, bronze, aluminum, steel. (1 of 4)
As installed at Restaurant Daniel, New York, 2002 – 2012
Full assembly: 91½ x 13½ x 11½" Glass assembly: 66 x 11½ x 11½"

The State Hermitage Museum Exhibition: Gifts from America

December 3, 2014

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA — On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of The State Hermitage Museum, Dan Dailey installed his Byzantine Sconces on November 27 – 30, 2014 for the exhibition “Gifts from America” which opened December 2 and runs through March 8, 2015. The sconces were made in 2002 for Restaurant Daniel in New York City. Daniel Boulud has now donated them to The State Hermitage Museum permanent collection.

Dailey and a Hermitage Museum electrician install his Byzantine Sconces before the exhibition opening reception. — Dailey and a Hermitage Museum electrician install his *Byzantine Sconces* before the exhibition opening reception.

“Working with the museum curators, installation team, electricians, architects and engineers was an unusual way to become familiar with the Russian people and with the Hermitage Museum, as we pursued the common goal of setting up my works in the exhibition. Museums have long been a source of inspiration for my art, and the fabulous collection of this museum has made a profound impression. I can’t tell yet how I will react, but the historical overview and the quality of works in the museum led me to inspect many of them in detail. In time this influence will be reflected in my thoughts and drawings, then new work.” —Dan Dailey

The exhibition was conceived by Helen Drutt English and curated by Matthew Drutt. They worked for two years to produce the “Gifts from America” exhibition, overseeing all aspects of production from the checklist of works, including crating, shipping, and set-up in the museum. The exhibition reflects Helen’s preferences, which are based on more than fifty years of scholarship and direct communication with the artists whose works are included.

Source: https://www.usrbc.org/pics/File/Hermitage_...