The Future Perfect gallery program has collaborated with Seattle-based artist John Hogan to produce a new series of exclusively commissioned glass furniture and sculptures.
Launching in New York on May 1 to coincide with Frieze New York and NYCxDESIGN, the new designs will be presented as an experiential installation that will transport viewers to The Future Perfect’s new Los Angeles outpost – Casa Perfect – through virtual reality technology. Hogan’s debut solo exhibition at The Future Perfect will feature one-of-a-kind glass sculptures and his first foray into furniture design, notably a limited edition series of tables that fuse hot glass sculpting and cold-working techniques, allowing Hogan to manipulate the material in both molten and solid states.
The Future Perfect will invite gallery visitors to escape New York and experience the work in the context of their new Los Angeles space, Casa Perfect, through the use of virtual reality technology. While the designs will physically be on view in New York, VR headsets will transport viewers to Casa Perfect, a 3,000 square foot house designed by Korean-American architect David Hyun in 1957. Hogan’s work will be virtually exhibited throughout the private residence (open by appointment only) utilizing Casa Perfect’s open floor plan, ample outdoor space, swimming pool, and sweeping views of Los Angeles as a backdrop.
Trained in traditional glassblowing methods at the acclaimed Toledo Art Museum, John Hogan pushes the boundaries of glassmaking techniques through his cutting-edge innovation and experimental use of light and color. Hogan’s extensive technical knowledge and rich understanding of the optical qualities of glass allow him to morph simple glass forms into complex transformative objects.
“John Hogan has a technical capability within his craft that few possess. His newest body of work for our gallery program pushes Hogan in terms of technical boundaries and scale, but retains the same contemplative and calming qualities that first attracted me to his smaller sculptures,” said David Alhadeff, founder of The Future Perfect. “Following the success of our recent opening in Los Angeles, we wanted to invite our New York clients to experience Casa
Perfect, which offers a serene context for Hogan’s work. The addition of virtual reality also echoes themes of optical illusion found in Hogan’s designs.” Hogan’s Ripple tables are designed to emulate light reflecting on the surface of water. Measuring 20” in diameter each, the triptych of tables was created using large-scale blown glass bases, which Hogan then cold worked (cut) to create a stable foundation. An industrial glass product was then fused to the blown-glass bases to create the table top – a technically challenging process that elevates a readymade material into art. The Reflect table, virtually exhibited fireside at Casa Perfect, features an assemblage of hand-blown mirrored glass balls as its base, topped with a circular glass disc.
The design captures a multitude of abstract and compounded reflections. Shown poolside through the VR experience, Hogan has created two large-scale water lenses – one-of-a-kind blown-glass sculptures that are filled with water to simulate the properties of magnification in solid glass. Entitled Ecru and Lull, the water lenses showcase Hogan’s technical prowess and ability to transform simple glass objects into dynamic sculptures.