Dr. Zarkov's Gold One
Artist
Myers, Joel Philip
(American, born 1934)
Date1971
OriginUnited States of America
MediumBlown glass
Dimensions22 1/2 × 8 × 8 in. (57.2 × 20.3 × 20.3 cm)
ClassificationsGlass
Credit LineGift of Carolyn K. and Richard F. Barry III
Object number2017.102
Label TextJoel Philip Myers (American, born 1934)
Dr. Zharkov's Gold One
Module glass units with Platinum Lustre applied to surfaces - all units glued, 1971
Gift of Carolyn K. and Richard F. Barry III
Myers introduced his “Dr. Zharkov” series in 1970, when directing the glass program at Illinois State University he had founded. The works in that series reference a scientist central to the Flash Gordon comic strip, first introduced in 1934. The works in Myers’ series gain their height simply by stacking similar, thinly blown forms into tall, totemic sculptures with mirrored zones seemingly defying gravity. Their perfection set them apart from most other studio glass made at the time, which relied instead on organic forms. The series’ repetition and uniformity, employed to great effect by minimalist sculptors such as Donald Judd, first suggested industrial production as a concept, a creative statement yet untried in glass.
Status
On view
