Karen Hager- glass pieces

The following images are of glass works that are still in process and need to be resolved.

Looking CapsulesBlown glass, birch, and coralSizes range from 1.5”-7”

Looking Capsules Blown glass, birch, and coral Sizes range from 1.5”-7”

Honey Dripper Blown glass, birch, honey 4”x 5” x 18”

Earth Jars Blown glass and cherry wood Sizes range from 10”-18”

Water Trails Cold-worked glass and cast iron Sizes range from 5”x 6” to 12”x 24”

Mushroom Coral Cast glass and aluminum Sizes range 3”- 4” in diameter

Karen Hager- recent installations

The following images and statements are from installations completed this past year.

Gourds Cast bronze Sizes range 4”- 7” tall December 2008

Monstera Fabricated steel Sizes range from 2”x 2”- 5”x 7” December 2008

Monstera Fabricated steel Sizes range from 2”x 2”- 5”x 7” December 2008

Our Garden Wood, sod, galvanized steel bucket, pump, and water October 2008 Our Garden is a piece that speaks about the way nature is today, a formulated showcase and a commodity. This idea came from my disconnected feeling from nature when there is evidence of human intervention and civilization. When living in a city the nature you find are parks and other green spaces built my m an. These spaces are organized and manicured. These methodically planned green spaces are far from feeling natural; this is what causes my disconnected feeling. We attempt to tame nature to fit our desires and needs and in doing so nature has become devalued and lost some of its intrinsic quality and beauty. The piece was installed in Leidy Atrium in the Brown Center under the stairs. There was a raised platform topped with sod. Set into the platform was a s mall water fountain. The sound of the running water helped cover the mechanical hum of the Brown Center. The soft feeling of grass and the quiet sound of running water created a relaxing environment in the Brown Center. Sitting in the Brown Center surrounded by glass with sunlight streaming in is similar to the feeling in a greenhouse. The Brown Center has a hard sterile feel that is due to the glass, steel, concrete, and the consistently cold temperature. This cold unnatural environment contrasted with the green space that I created with my installation. It was an odd feeling to sit in a natural green environment indoors. The damp sod actually raised the temperature of the Brown Center in that one area and made the space more comfortable. Nature as a commodity was represented by the connection between the natural and the artificial, the living and the man-made, my green space and the Brown Center.

Lingering Lineage Leaves, fungus, and candles November 2008 Lingering Lineage was a piece about the relationship between my siblings and me when I was a child. I am the youngest of four siblings and we had a single mother. I sometimes felt like a burden on my siblings because they always had to look after me. I was also a child with more needs than my siblings. I believe that my siblings resented me for that and at times displaced their anger on me. As a result of this situation when I was a child I would hide in obscure places. Sometimes the hiding was an escape and other times it was for enjoyment. My installation involved an interactive performance element. I would light a candle for myself and pass the flame to the person next to me; the flame would pass until every viewer had a lit candle. The installation was intended for four people to enter at a time. The only light that was available in the space were the candles. The space was narrow enough that the four viewers would enter it single file. This single file line created an order and made one person the leader. The viewers entered a dark stairwell and continued through a hole that had been broken in the wall to discover a hidden hallway. Leaves covered the floor and represented my siblings. I feel like I took advantage of my siblings and walked on them. The viewer is put in my position when entering the installation and walking on the leaves. The piece gives the feeling of exploration and discovery just as I would feel if I was looking for a hiding spot. There is a level of trust that is experienced among the viewers; they have to trust that the other viewers will not bump into them or drop their candles and light the leaves on fire. There is fungus that was nailed to the hole in the wall. As you enter the hole it is a natural tendency to grab the edge of the hole when the fungus is to help guide yourself in. This spot on the wall where you grab was covered in fungus to represent the marks and impressions that I left on my siblings. As you walked through the hallway it reaches a dead end and everyone must turn around. In doing so the first person becomes last and the last person becomes first. The role of the leader switches and represents a change in the relationship among my siblings where I, the last child, became independent.

Illumine Sand, yarn, and light December 2008 Illumine was an installation created to c ommunicate the feeling of being underwater in the ocean and the effect the sun has on the water. Above water the sun reflects light over the ripples and waves and it makes an organic grid-like shape. Underwater when you look up you can’t see the blinding reflections, but if you look down you can see their shadows on the sand. The feeling of this experience is relaxing and peaceful. This piece was installed in an industrial building and was located in front of large double doors with many windows. At night the space provided enough darkness to isolate the yellow orange light I used. The installation was a net of yarn shaped to resemble the reflections of the sun on the water. The net was attached to the I-beam track above the loading dock. Under the net was sand in the shape of an oval. T he sand was walked on with only my heels; this made an obscure footprint that mimicked the pattern of the net. Through the window shined an intense yellow orange light and it illuminated the sand, cast a glow on the net, and shined a reflection of the net onto the windows. The yellow orange light created a comfortable feeling. This piece was inspired by the phenomenon of the reflections of the sun on the ocean, but not everyone has had this experience. The installation was successful though because it communicated that feeling the experience.