Cabinet of Curiosities & Impossibilities, 2010

Original cabinets dated from the 16th century and were entire rooms of specimens. The most famous, best documented cabinets of rulers and aristocrats, members of the merchant class, and early practitioners of science formed collections that were the precursors to the museum. In the Cabinet of Curiosities & Impossibilities, MOA seeks to recreate the wonder and contemplation once aroused in the 19th century cabinets. Located in the Englewood indoor gallery of the Museum of Outdoor Arts.

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Chandelier Chardin, 2007-2008

The title of this chandelier is in honor of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit priest, paleontologist, and philosopher who discovered Peking Man. Chardin specifically conceived the idea of Noosphere. The Noosphere is represented by the geometric platonic solids imagery at the top of the chandelier, and evolves in to the highly organic shapes found at the bottom. The chandelier is made of steel, antique Italian chandelier parts, and contemporary glass pieces that have been cold worked, sand blasted, slumped, draped and torch worked. The chandelier is lit with small LEDs in the antique portion of the work. It is approximately thirteen feet at its widest point and descending from the ceiling close to forty feet.
The antique chandelier was discovered by Marjorie and Cynthia Madden on a trip to Italy in 1982, and remained in storage until being incorporated in to this new work. The Chandelier Chardin was designed by Lonnie Hanzon and fabricated by Bella Glass.

From the Museum of Outdoor Arts

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