LEONUD KRITSUN, ART GLASS & LIGHT
Fragile & Wonderful
The artist Leonid Kritsun is a master of various glass techniques through which he creates a plethora of aesthetic objects. Throughout the years of his productive career, he has produced cubistic, figurative, abstract and realistic objects as well as works influenced by Art Nouveau. Lately he has been attracted to Pop Art. His career has been characterized by an ongoing dialogue with great artists, such as Duerer, Matisse, Chagall, and Castel. Leonid Kritsun employs diverse technological means like laser and water cutting, silk screen and digital printing, led lighting and illuminated threads. At times, technology guides choice of subject matter and influences the final result. For thirty years Kritsun has taught, created and advocated the art of glassmaking in Israel. I am convinced that this exhibition will only constitute a mid-station in his artistic endeavour.
Galina Bleikh
Curator of the exhibition "Fragile and Wonderful", Jerusalem, 2015
Stained Glass – The technique of classical stained glass has existed for almost a thousand years and has changed very little till this day. The work consists of cutting the glass as drawn in the original sketch, glass painting, and assembling the pieces of glass into lead strips. Stained Glass can magically change the look of any interior or structure into a beautiful one filled with color, design and light.
Tiffany Glass Technique – In the late 19th century, the Tiffany technique was developed by the American Interior Designer, Louis Comfort Tiffany. Tiffany glass is very similar to the stained glass art technique, but instead of lead, copper foil is used. This technique allows a very diverse range of projects: lampshades, sculptures, three-dimensional objects and images and enables the decorating of windows and doors with transparent and colored glass.
Glass Painting & Prints – With glass painting, art works are created which look like stained glass or Belgian stained glass. Using glass painting, the artist is able to create many effects that do not exist in regular painting or traditional stained glass. Glass painting techniques use contour lines and special glass paints. After a project is completed, it is fired in a kiln to prevent the colors from fading.
The artist, through the use of modern technology, creates his artwork which is then digitally printed on glass.
Glass Sculptures – The artist creates his glass sculptures utilizing multiple techniques including the use of transparent glass adhesives, cutting with laser or water, and high temperature oven processing. The light in many of the art pieces is created by using tiny LED lights or light wires.
Sand Blasting – This technique enables the artist to create a wide variety of projects. He utilizes compressed air to blast the sand onto visible areas of the glass to create three-dimensional pieces. Some of the glass pieces may keep their original color while others may be brush painted or sprayed with special glass paint.
Glass Mosaics – This technique is very similar to stone mosaics but instead of stone, we use glass pieces. This technique allows us to decorate windows and doors with transparent and colored glass.
Light Works – In a past few years, the artist has incorporated modern LED lighting technology into his art to create modern and dynamic pieces of art. Some of the artist's works include kinetic features.
Metal and Stone Sculptures – Sculptures made from metal or stone (marble, granite, etc.) typically require a great amount of sketching and careful planning prior to the actual work. The shapes in metals are derived through laser cutting, bending, welding and other methods performed in a factory.
Complex shapes in stone are accomplished by cutting with water or sand.
The artist generally includes additional materials such as glass and may include illumination by LED lighting hidden in the artwork itself.
Exhibitions
1993 “Immigrants Artists” Exhibition. Van Leer Institute, Jerusalem
1995 Art teachers Exhibition. Ort Singalovsky, Tel Aviv
2000 “Glass, light, etc.'' Solo exhibition. Pedagogic Center, Jerusalem
2002 “Transparent”. Glass Artists Exhibition. Jerusalem House of Quality
2005 Solo exhibition. Jerusalem House of Quality
2008 “Just glass”. Solo exhibition. Jerusalem House of Quality
2008 “Let there be light''. Electric Company, Tel Aviv
2009 “Muse and Mosaic”. Jerusalem House of Quality
2009 “Sound and color”. The Han Museum, Ashkelon
2009 “Unity”. European Artists Exhibition. Narva, Estonia
2009 Glass Artists Exhibition. Museum of Glass, Arad
2010 “Transparent”. Exhibition of 12 glass artists. Jerusalem House of Quality
2010 Certificate of Appreciation in the “Spring Competition'' of glass artists in Kiev, Ukraine
2011 “Sky and Earth”. Selective Group Exhibitions. Platinum Tower, Tel Aviv
2011 “Art in Motion”. Exhibition hall of Jaguar. Tel Aviv
2011 “Leil de Lumière”. Galeria Migdalor, Old Jaffa
2012 “Mirrors and Lamps” – a teacher and his students. Jerusalem House of Quality
2012 “Glass magic”. Beit Nagler, Haifa
2013 “Mirrors and Lamps 2”. Jerusalem House of Quality
2013 “ART in Glass”. Beit-Raz, Har Adar
2014 Art Glass Biennale. The First Station, Jerusalem
2014 “Glass magic 2”. Beit Nagler, Haifa
2014 “Circle of Life”. The Begin Heritage Center, Jerusalem
2014 “Moments of Life”. Jerusalem House of Quality
2014 Art Glass Biennale. The First Station, Jerusalem
2014 “Glass magic 2”. Beit Nagler, Haifa
2014 “Circle of Life”. The Begin Heritage Center, Jerusalem.
2014 “Moments of Life”. Jerusalem House of Quality
2015 “Fragile and Wonderful”. Solo exhibition. Jerusalem House of Quality
2015 “Stay at home”. Exhibition of the Artists. Jerusalem House of Quality
2015 “Environmental Design”.Habima” Tel Aviv
2015 “Green relationship”. Hangar 2, the port of Jaffa, Tel Aviv
2016 “Location, People”. Сenter “Harmony“, Jerusalem
2016 “Glass magic 3”. Beit Nagler, Haifa
2017 Exhibition of Light. Jerusalem House of Quality
2017 “A Thin Slice of Israeli Art”. Cinematheque, Jerusalem
2017 Festival of Light in Jerusalem. Old City of Jerusalem
2017 The International Festival of Digital Art. Сenter “Harmony”, Jerusalem
2018 “Glass Magic 4”. Beit Nagler, Haifa