203: THOMAS STEARNS, Nebbia de Luna vase < Important Italian Glass, 11 December 2020 < Auctions

Important Italian Glass 11 December 2020

Venini Designers of the 1960s

After Paolo Venini’s death in 1959, his son-in-law, Ludovico Diaz de Santillana, took the company in a new direction. Responding to the tone of the times, Santillana began to invite artists from around the world to participate in a more open, creative atmosphere. A diverse group of designers contributed, and throughout the 1960s Venini maintained and enhanced its reputation as Murano’s most innovative and forward-thinking company.

Gio Ponti
ARTIST | ARCHITECT | DESIGNER
WRITER | PUBLISHER
Designer, Venini 1946–1948

Toni Zuccheri
ARTIST | DESIGNER
Designer, Venini 1960s

Ludovico Diaz de Santillana
ARCHITECT | DESIGNER
ENTREPRENEUR
Director, Venini 1959–1985

Tobia Scarpa
ARCHITECT | DESIGNER
Designer, Venini 1959–1962

Thomas Stearns
ARTIST | DESIGNER
Designer, Venini 1960–1962

Tapio Wirkkala
DESIGNER | SCULPTOR
Designer, Venini 1960s

Thomas Stearns 1936–2006

On November 1st, 1960, the young American artist Thomas Stearns arrived in Venice and began a tenure as guest designer at Venini, an appointment which would last until 1962. Working closely with Venini’s youngest Maestro, ‘Checco’ Ongaro, Stearns would design a number of highly refined and experimental glass vessels and objects; a group of these pieces would go on to win the coveted Gold Medal for Glass at the Venice Biennale of 1962, only to be rescinded after the judges realized that the designer was an American. Stearns’ odyssey at Venini is beautifully captured in his own essay, The Facades of Venice: Recollections of my Residence in Venice, written in 1989 and published in the catalog of Muriel Karasik’s seminal show, The Venetians, Modern Glass, 1919 – 1990.

Due to the fact that most of Stearns’ designs were produced in very limited numbers, today they are highly sought after by collectors. More importantly, these pieces exhibit an innovative sculptural integrity which perfectly expresses the spirit of the times in which they were made.

And while Stearns was not the first American to work at Venini, he was certainly the most influential. In fact, his time there changed the very dynamic between designer and craftsman, as his constant presence at the Venini furnace challenged age-old Muranese traditions and class distinctions. The next generation of American artists to study at Venini, including Dale Chihuly, Toots Zynsky, Richard Marquis and others, owe a debt of gratitude to the patient and intrepid Thomas Stearns.

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Auction Results Thomas Stearns