F.020999 (1999), BY TOSHIO IEZUMI
ACQUIRED FROM CHAPPELL GALLERY, NEW YORK, NEW YORK, DECEMBER 2000
LAMINATED, CUT, GROUND, AND POLISHED PLATE GLASS, 5.7" BY 14.2" BY 7.5", SIGNATURE AND NAME OF THE WORK ENGRAVED BY THE ARTIST
I first saw the work of Toshio Iezumi on Chappell Gallery's web page on the web site of the SOFA Expo, held in Chicago in the fall of 2000. As soon as I saw his work, I immediately visited Chappell Gallery's web site. What I saw there really amazed me, so I e-mailed Alice Chappell, the gallery owner, and after a series of messages, decided to acquire this work.

The method that Toshio-san uses to create these works is not unlike carving stone, except that he doesn't use a chisel. First, he laminates a set of glass plates into a large mass; this is his "stone". Next, he uses a diamond-bladed saw to cut the mass into a rough form. Then, he uses a series of six increasingly-fine hand grinders to refine the outer surface of the form. Finally, he uses a felt buffer to polish the surface to perfection.

The result of all of this effort is very cool... the shape and contours of the work cause it to reflect and refract light in myriad ways. The greenish tint of the glass (a result of the iron added to ordinary plate glass to give it strength) appears strongly or not at all, depending on the angle of viewing and the amount of light present. And the outer surface of the work is perfectly smooth. (The seams between the plates of glass in the work are only visible if you look at the work edge-on, or in just the right light.)

Of all of the works in my collection, this work is the most abstract; it is basically just a shape. However, because of Toshio-san's considerable skill in working the glass, the surface creates wonderful effects using whatever light intersects it. The simplicity and elegance of this work really appeal to me... I'm glad to have this work in my collection.

The name of this work, F.020999, tells you what type of work it is ("F" stands for "form") and when it was completed (February 9, 1999).

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