Oliver Doriss

A New World, GlassEarth

December 3, 2020 No Comments

I have produced two runs of the “GlassEarth” this year. Just like any hand crafted product there is a substantial prep-work and development that goes into each piece. Since this line is still in it’s infancy every time I go into the studio there is growth. I learn a little bit more about my process, shapes, timing, detail. After grinding and polished my most recent run, and I must admit I am very happy with the direction things are going. Also during this last run I took the time to document the steps involved in the creation of these pieces. You too can check out the process here on the GlassEarth page.

Art, Posts, Shows & Events

Trophies at MINKA

April 29, 2019 1 Comment

I am proud to present a display of my new work, titled Trophies at MINKA in downtown Tacoma. Please join us for the opening of “Trophies” on Saturday, May 4th from 5-7pm. Show runs through June 30. -Oliver

In “Trophies”, Doriss renders precious deer skulls in jewel-like glass, creating sculptures that are at once modern and as darkly beautiful as memento mori. These works mine subliminal territory where the artificial construct of human culture butts against the “raw unstoppable forces of nature… I feel as though there are glimpses of reality when the cracks form in my societal conditioning,” Doriss said.

The works in “Trophies” combine a fragile temporality with an almost papal sense of luxury that is wickedly attractive. Turn a skull over in your hand, and you can run your finger across the rows of tiny deer teeth Doriss has carved in glass. “I seek to make connections with both my aesthetic choices and subject matter, often towing the line of the dark and humorous,” he said. Doriss is himself a 12-point buck in every sense of the word. He opened the seminal gallery, Fulcrum, on Tacoma’s Hilltop in 2007, and has presented some of the city’s most robust and provocative shows ever since. When he’s not running his gallery, he teaches Venetian glassblowing locally and in Murano, Italy (no wonder he always has such great shoes).

Please join MINKA in welcoming Oliver Doriss on May 4, 5-7pm (and beyond). Also opening May 4 is “Six Paintings”, abstract works by noted Tacoma artist and designer, John Vlahovich. Upstairs at Art Above Gallery, is an ongoing exhibit of paintings curated by Brian Ebersole. The show includes works new and old; some collected in the former mayor’s travels, some brushed by himself. MINKA is located at 821 Pacific Ave. Regular hours are Thursday through Sunday, 12-5, and by appointment.

For more information, please contact verticalshout@gmail.com.(Featured: Ruby Deer Skull. Doriss describes this sculpture as, “Transparent ruby sheathed in silver leaf, a classic and especially blingy look. Inspired by Venetian sculptural sensibilities exploiting a similar use of precious metals and striking colors.” Approx. 8 in. wide.)

Art, Posts, Sculpture

Ruby Silver Deer Skull

March 16, 2019 1 Comment

Transparent ruby sheathed in silver leaf, a classic and especially blingy look. Inspired by Venetian sculptural sensibilities exploiting a similar use of precious metals and striking colors. Ruby Deer Skull is approximately 8 in. wide and is the first from my Trophy Series to be completed with a display stand. As with many pieces of art the mounting and framing are often more involved than the creation of the artwork itself. This particular piece was recently donated to a fundraiser at Museum of Glass for my dear friend.

Art, Sculpture

Trophys

February 12, 2019 1 Comment

I wanted to produce an intimate sculptural piece that resonates with the cultural of the Pacific Northwest. Additionally I want this piece to be approachable to young collectors, keeping in line with today’s smaller more minimal aesthetic. This piece must be contemporary as well as timeless. Expertly crafted while embodying my personal design sensibility. Allow me to introduce your new Trophy. These are small intimate works that honors you the hunter, the hunter of style, the hunter of glam. No camo no guns no hiding in the brush in the rain waiting to kill something. This is a Trophy you can have for your own. Just unholster your checkbook and pull the trigger. -Oliver

Each of my Trophy skulls are approximately 8 inches in the largest dimension and are produced in an array of colors and designs. I employ silver leaf and striking powders on some and others I let the transparency of the class speak for itself. Each piece is available as a stand alone object or mounted on a stand or wall piece. Please contact me for pricing and availability.

Art, Installation, Sculpture

Alpine Panel

May 18, 2016 2 Comments

Alpine Panel is a seven part installation comprised of cast glass elements that float just off the wall. The milky blue translucency allows light to flow through each piece illuminating an intimate composition of ferns and branches. These botanical vignettes are created through my signature casting process using locally sourced vegetation. Sterling silver accents and iridescent earth tones compliment the chilly glacial blues completing the work. The assembled composition ultimately forms a segmented alpine tree line with the ridge of Mt. Rainier in the distance evoking the same spatial dynamics of our grand North West landscape.

Incline

About 10 foot wide after install.

Fiinishing touches.

Glacial

Almost Touching

Evening install

Ridgeline

Ready to sooth & calm the patients.

Mountain Range

Ghost Town

Fern Detail

Proud

Alpine Panel is part of the Permanent Collection of Mary Bridge Hospital in Tacoma Washington
It is installed in the lobby on the fourth floor of the new Rainier Pavilion

Art, Installation, Posts

FLOW

September 14, 2014 No Comments

In the chilly waters of the Thea Foss one may observe a unique phenomenon, an impossible view into the surface of the harbor. The crisp form of FLOW is the embodiment of negative space and speaks through reflection and diffraction. Its rigid form juxtaposed against fluid motions of the water. This piece works seamlessly within the aquatic environment cycling every 45 minutes it is synchronized with the rhythms of the natural world.

FLOW is visible from the promenade in front of the Museum of Glass just in the waters off Dock St. Marina. For me this piece is a proof of concept and I look forward to applying these dynamics in a permanent setting. FLOW is best viewed at an oblique angle.

I really enjoyed the process of creating of this dynamic piece. I have dedicated a significant amount time this year resolving the many complexities of both the fabrication of the acrylic form and the function of the mechanical aspects. FLOW challenged every one of my accumulated creative skills including electrical, acrylic fabrication as well as mathematics for the calculation of water levels, flow and displacement. The installation within the decidedly hostile waters Thea Foss Waterway added additional variables to this already complex project.

Because of the limited budget this project was designed around preexisting equipment and materials available in my community. I also familiarized myself with the laser plotter at FabLab in Tacoma to cut the acrylic components. Another hurtle was my lack of a testing pool and had to call in the help of my friends in the marina for assistance. Lastly I would like to thank the Tacoma Arts Commission for taking a chance on this project. Without the help of this organization I would never have embarked upon this fantastic voyage. -Oliver Doriss

FLOW is on display from September 6th to October 6th it cycles every 45 minutes and is illuminated for night time viewing.

This piece was realized through support, funding and donations from the following entities.
Special Thanks to:

-Tacoma Arts Commission
-Cayn Thomson
-Second Cycle Community Bicycle Shop
-Craig Perry
-Delin Docks / Dock Street Marina

Art, Installation, Posts, Sculpture, Shows & Events

SkyPonds

July 15, 2008 No Comments

Oliver-May18th44 The SkyPonds installation was part of the 2008 Centennial Celebration of the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory. This collaboration between artists Joseph Miller and Oliver Doriss was a response to the unique aesthetic of this historic structure. The installation is a marriage of botanical properties and Tacoma’s tradition of glass making. The cloud forms balance each other symbolizing the delicate interaction of our own ecosystems. They participate in the daily cycles of the conservatory life, gentile condensations, rusting, growing, and evaporating. A closed little loop of life that mimics our own.