Topic: James O'Reilly head sculpture

[flying free]

This is the reason I have been asking for information - I have a new 'favourite' piece
  The bottle is a Pyrex 2 litre bottle signed to the base by the artist with the head signed as well.  The bottle has a ground interior to it's neck for the head to sit in.  Copper wire is wound around the neck of the bottle.  It is truly gorgeous.   I was expecting a perfume bottle - it is 15" tall, the head is 6" tall.   :rah:  I have coveted one ever since I saw the punk he made (perfume bottle) in Charles Hajdamach's 20th Century British Glass.
m

[flying free]

more pics

[chopin-liszt]

It's fab!
I can't help having a little wonder if he ever worked with David Reekie......
and I've never seen a 2l Pyrex bottle before...
(I like Pyrex.)

[Max]

wow,that's sensational!

[steph]

 :hiclp: :hiclp: :hiclp: oooh M I love it, yes shades of David Reekie in there Sue....   :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: enjoy it...cheers steph.

[flying free]

thanks  -  I knew he'd go down well    He looks very anarchic/rebellious, which is why I love him I think.  
He dates to 1995 signed on the base of the bottle so must have been made whilst James was at the International Glass Centre that year (The Dudley Museum site has three perfume bottles and 20th Century British Glass pictured ,stating  Diploma Show 1995).  The previous owner thought the head was signed JOR 19 but I think it is possibly signed JOR IG which would tie in with International Glass.
The bottle is signed with (what looks like to me) either JP ORily or JP OReily with one 'l', whereas all other references have it as two ll's.  Doesn't make any difference to my searches as it still throws up nothing.

Ref the similarities to DR ... well I've been doing a lot of looking and searching and yes David was making heads before 1995 if I recall what I read correctly - however, the only similarities I see are that they are both heads and possibly formed in a similar way, perhaps lost wax type technique thing (sorry I've not researched that bit terribly well yet and I don't quite understand all the technicalities of explaining it well) and kiln formed.  The hair and the details on the face are to my eye, different from what I can see of DR's work - that said, I've always coveted a piece of his sculpture as well   but have yet to own one, so I'm only looking at pics, which is not always the best way.

 I've looked for a link between the two but since I'm limited to almost no information on J oR apart from the ICG 1995, then all I've been searching for is a link between DR and the International Glass Centre and have found nothing for that period.  I do believe that in order to use the ICG facilities at that time,  the glass artist had to have done previous training/degree etc, so he may well have been taught by DR at some point.  But I've still to find any link on that.  I'm curious to know where I can find information on how many people would have been at the ICG at that point.  I have found two others and possibly one more that were there in 1995.

I'm also curious about the Pyrex 2L bottle. The 'base' of this piece appears to be this.  It has an etched mark on the side PYREX England 2L and has a very slight yellow tint in some lights especially neart hte base.  I can't dfind any similar bottles in my searches but then Im probably not using the right keywords.
So... that's where I've got to so far.
m

[Lustrousstone]

Sounds like the bottle is a laboratory bottle. Older Pyrex often has a yellowish tinge.

[chopin-liszt]

That would make a great deal of sense (lab bottle) however.... I worked in labs for a total of 17 years, and I've never seen one.

I have seen and used a fair bit of what I now know to be rather interesting bits of fairly old glass - it always tickles me to see filter funnels in antiquey places with large prices on them - when I used to see them as everyday practical items.

There was even a good bit of Monax glass still in use as well as the more common Pyrex.

I don't recognise the shape of the bottle - the shoulders are much more sloping than the bottles I used on an everyday basis.

I do see a similarity between the actual faces of DR's work and this, though.........
but the hair on this one is quite different to anything I've seen by DR. (both books and museums).

Perhaps some more information may come out of the woodwork at a later date, but the bottom line is, does it really matter atm?

You HAVE this fantastic and amazing piece of work in your sticky little mitts, it's yours, you can love it and appreciate it and enjoy it!  :smg:

[flying free]

I wonder if this sculpture was the inspiration for the head?
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2002.468/