1984

Structure 23

American, born 1949

Part of a series of architectural forms made by Howard Ben Tré after a 1984 trip to Greece, Structure 23 references columns found on ancient temples. Connecting the translucency and light-gathering potential of glass with geometry, this upright volume of solid glass shows the artist’s sensitivity to the material and the physicality of producing it by hand. Ben Tré’s background in foundry practices made for an easy transition to casting glass, considering that molten glass is called a metal. Cast in a single, solid piece, Structure 23 was conceived with a slight disjuncture between capital and column, giving them the effect of being stacked together.