Katherine Vetne
Lot #74
Amassment, 2017
8 melted lead crystal pitchers, silver nitrate, lacquer
24 x 48 inches
Courtesy of the artist and Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco
About the Artwork
Katherine Vetne’ use of lead crystal as medium and subject matter in her work allows her to mine the history of still life alongside an examination of the ways in which idealized (and distorted) forms of femininity are bought, sold, consumed, and mass-produced. Here, through multiple interventions, Vetne transforms once-useful Avon lead crystal vessels into amorphous, non-functional forms, interrogating our perception of the value of heirlooms and decorative objects. Her work expands on themes of desire, consumption, and mainstream womanhood; viewers peering into Amassment will find their reflections warped and contorted in its mirrored surfaces. Vetne was featured in Heavy Metal—Women to Watch 2018 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC; in 2021, she will be featured in a major exhibition on contemporary craft at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR.
Retail Value: $6,400