Page 5 - Montague Gallery Lino Tagliapietra Timeless Show

rondels congregate in the center, larger ones around the edges, suggesting a deep space in which the smaller forms are retreating. This illusion is reinforced by the shift in color in the violet glass-- from a pale purple-azure in the center, to a deep garnet at the borders of the piece. The rondels themselves display rich reds and deep cobalt blues, with accents of yellow, aqua and amber. Tagliapietra has described their genesis: “I intentionally cut off these pieces from my works as I knew I would want to incorporate them in future works. I have kept these pieces throughout the years and when I conceptualized this project, I knew they would be perfect to use.”
Once flattened, each circle becomes a sort of magnifying lens. As if to trick the eye even further, there are small circular concave depressions ground into the surface of some, reversing the effect so that things seen through them seem far away. Overall, sustained looking and imagining are both rewarded, as more details become apparent. Complex cold-worked patterns ground into one add dimensionality, while layered swirls of colored lines in another surround a tiny lens shape that has been inserted on the reverse side of the rondel. Standing back, the panel suddenly evokes the beloved Venetian tradition of millefiori paperweights, but reimagined on a cosmic scale.
Lino Tagliapietra • TIMELESS 5