Timo Sarpaneva, a 'Sleeping bird' sculpture signed Timo Sarpaneva 1996. Nuutajärvi glass factory.
Clear and colored glass. Chair work, stick-blown, flared. Dimensions c. 20 x 17 cm. Height 10 cm.
Minor wear. Marks. Stains inside.
Timo Sarpaneva's collection.
In 1996, Timo Sarpaneva purchased workshop time from the Nuutajärvi glass factory to work as a freelance artist with his trusted blowers, Heikki Punkar and Reijo Salonen. They worked on weekends when the Nuutajärvi factory production was down. Sarpaneva used the stick-blown method he had developed in Iittala when he was a young artist. However, the glass blowers Punkari and Salonen were not familiar with the stick-blown method. Matti Rautanen, a retired master blower who had previously made objects using this method, agreed to supervise the project.
Sarpaneva worked on his familiar 'Sleeping Bird' theme that he had already designed variations for in 1957, but he wanted a new look for the pieces. He desired a rich glass mass with a powerful appearance. The result was a series of glass sculptures with deep colors and magical optics that create a jewel-like glow.
Marjatta Sarpaneva.
Two documentaries 'Sarpaneva ja muodon taju' and 'Sarpaneva Sarpanevasta' are available on YLE Arena.