Jeremy Newman/Allison Cianc

Biography

Jeremy Newman and Allison Ciancibelli are a husband and wife team who have been collaboratively designing and creating blown glass sculpture since 2001.  Their studio is located in an old barn on their small farm up the Twisp River.

Their work is inspired by the natural world and how people relate to nature.  “In the presence of nature there is absence where the mind can wander over open spaces and find a sense of calm; this is where the images of their work are derived; the patch of Aspen on an otherwise empty hillside, a fence line protruding from a field of snow, a night sky bathed in a full moon.  They are simple abstract compositions that allow the viewer to read their own interpretation into the piece.

Jeremy and Allison’s sculpture is represented by galleries nationwide and can be found in public and private collections internationally.  Their work is part of the permanent collection of the Newark Museum of Art and they received an Excellence in Glass award from the Smithsonian Institute.

In order to create each one of a kind piece, Jeremy and Allison may incorporate traditional glassblowing skills together with woodworking and metalworking.  Their simple, earthy forms serve as blank slates for their abstract, narrative imagery created by layering colors of glass and adding frit, powdered glass, and steel fibers.  Finally, the surface is acid-etched, giving the piece its soft, matte finish and stone like appearance.

Artist’s Statement

Our work is based on observations of our home in North Central Washington, a place of rugged mountains, sagebrush foothills, and narrow river valleys.  While the snow-capped peaks inspire awe, it is the sparse dry hills and agricultural fields that continually draw our attention.  It is in these lowlands that we find our voice, exploring the intersection of the native landscape and the influence of man in transforming that landscape.

Blackbirds flocking to a lone cottonwood tree, a full September moon signaling the harvest, straw bales left to rot in a farmer’s field, an abandoned fence line of weathered posts.  These simple, abstract images present to the viewer a single moment in time, but a more elaborate storyline lies in the periphery.  The narrative tells of the cycles and the seasons that inform and direct our daily lives.  It defines our connection to place, to each other, and to our collective past.  It conveys the story of culture, community and dedication to a way of life.

Our current work represents a view of our small farm and the surrounding agricultural fields and ranch lands.  It is about the transformation of the land, but it is also an expression of the value of agriculture and the importance of simplicity, patience, and respect for the natural rhythms of the land.