Tendo, Japan | Glass | 25’ H x 25’ W | 1997
When an artist is called upon to design for a museum in tribute to another artist, it creates an intriguing challenge. The task faced by Gordon Huether in creating a 20- by 25- foot glass wall for the Hiroshige Museum was to honor the Japanese wood print master without sacrificing his own artistic voice. To do this, Huether carefully combined elements from Hiroshige’s work with his own articulation.
To do this, Huether carefully combined elements from Hiroshige’s work with his own articulation. Hiroshige’s signature blue was recreated in custom-blown German glass and incorporated in large sheets that quietly gradate from the deepest to palest hues. The powerful composition interprets Hiroshige in a language of bold color and abstracted form, which simultaneously pays tribute to the art and architecture of the museum.