SPOTLIGHT ON
THE INDIVIDUALS
“Dailey’s narrative artwork is entirely subjective, but the figures he renders feel universally familiar. The depths of a personality and the unique traits of an individual are clearly revealed and recognizable.”
—CAROLYN NEEDELL, Chrysler Museum of Art Curator of Glass
“My desire to make the Individuals stems from a long held interest in human character traits. Watching the way a person acts — his or her gestures, expressions and demeanor — has provided lasting images that result in drawings. ”
“His bust-length blown glass sculptures might be considered true ‘personifications’ or representations of abstract qualities in human form. Each Individual is ripe with suggestive body language despite the absence of a full body.”
“As I take the drawings into three dimensions, my Individuals become life size iconic characters. The qualities of the glass from translucence to the movement of color throughout the volume enhance particular aspects of each portrayal. The mood and the attitude of the individual depicted are supported by the colors and their method of application.”
“At once worldly and playful, unbound by the limitations of realism, Dailey’s glassworks invite us back to a familiar realm— especially now, as we all face sharply curtailed interactions during a time of pandemic and social distancing. Engaging with one of his character studies, one once again experiences the curiosity, recognition, and discovery that drive humans out into the world of concerts, museums, restaurants, and bars in search of new encounters with others, by which we expand our experience and affirm our own humanity. ”
Savoir Faire greets mask wearing visitors at the Barry Art Museum, Norfolk, VA
“If they are to be regarded as portraits, then they should be regarded portraits of humanity as a whole, serving as a character sketch of what makes people human.”
128 piece series • 2004 – ongoing
