Judy Glasser

Biography

Judy Glasser is a native New Yorker. She received her Masters in Art Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, with a specialty in Ceramics. Supplementing her formal studies, she traveled to Japan and West Africa to observe traditional pottery making.

For more than 30 years, Glasser worked as a studio potter, creating decorative and sculptural work. In addition to her own studio practice, she taught ceramics in multiple schools and studios.

In 2008, looking for a fresh start, Glasser attended the Art Students League, where she took Mixed Media classes. Working with wood and found objects, she discovered a new world of abstraction and a new direction for her art. Since then, she has been building abstract sculptures, composed primarily of wood. She has received commissions for larger sculptures, which are fabricated in metal.

Judy Glasser has been affiliated with the Carter Burden Network for a number of years. She is a Teaching Artist at their Covello Center. She has also been an Artist-in-Residence three times at the Center.

Artist statement

Joining flat pieces of wood into three-dimensional forms is a process that evolved by chance. I was transitioning from sculpting with clay, a material that was no longer suited to my new sculptural vocabulary, to experimenting with pieces of scrap wood and cardboard. These materials proved to be a better way to build my new work.

I begin my work with three elements: my hands, flat geometric shapes, and space. There is no sketching or pre-planning. I need to experience my ideas in actual space, to have tangible objects to respond to.

My sculptures begin by connecting two pieces of wood, then seeing where the additional pieces lead me. The uncertainty of where this is going is a stimulating part of the creative journey. The evolving construction creates a sense of excitement and anticipation. My hands lead the way; my eyes and mind follow.

I continue building until I feel that the early stage of the form has achieved a pleasing composition. It is at this point that I start applying color to the wood. This is a very challenging part of the process because color adds weight, energy, and movement; consequently, it frequently becomes necessary to reconfigure the basic structure to accommodate a new sense of harmony, movement, and balance. I add and remove sections of wood, adjust the angles, and apply more color. This process is repeated many times until everything clicks until the form feels right. In almost every instance, the final form is a totally different sculpture from where I started.