Toots Zynsky Untitled (White & Ice Blue) Signed Filet-de-Verre Handblown Glass

Artist: Mary Ann "Toots" Zynsky
Title: Untitled (White & Ice Blue)
Medium: Hand-Blown Glass
Dimensions: 11.5" x 21.625" x 13.5"
Date: c. 2000-2010
Inscription: Signed "Z" on the bottom
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity from Modern Artifact

"Untitled (White & Ice Blue)" is a sculptural glass vessel by American artist Mary Ann "Toots" Zynsky, whose work is recognized for its exploration of color, light, and the structural possibilities of glass. Measuring 11 1/2 × 21 3/8 × 13 1/2 inches, the work takes the form of a broad, asymmetrical vessel with a gently tapering base and an expansive, undulating rim. Its low, horizontally oriented profile emphasizes the relationship between the vessel's interior volume and its surrounding silhouette.

The work is predominantly white, with subtle passages of ice blue visible throughout its translucent surface. Fine vertical striations extend upward from the lower portion of the vessel, creating a delicate sense of movement and emphasizing its curving contours. The restrained palette allows variations in translucency and surface density to become central visual elements, with light passing through portions of the glass to produce subtle shifts in tone.

The irregular rim introduces a distinctly organic quality to the composition. Rather than following a uniform circular or geometric outline, its peaks and recessed curves create a continuously changing perimeter. This asymmetry contrasts with the vessel's carefully controlled overall structure and gives the work a sense of movement, as though the form has been shaped by natural forces.

The interaction of transparency, color, and form reflects Zynsky's broader investigation of glass as both a sculptural material and a medium for chromatic expression. "Untitled (White & Ice Blue)" demonstrates how subtle variations in color and translucency can define volume without relying on strong contrasts or ornamentation.

The work is signed "Z" on the underside and is accompanied by a Gallery Certificate of Authenticity from Modern Artifact.

About Toots Zynsky

Toots Zynsky (born 1951) is an American artist recognized for her innovative use of glass and her distinctive woven-glass technique. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Zynsky studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she earned a BFA in 1973. She was part of the early studio glass movement in the United States and worked at the Rhode Island School of Design and the Massachusetts College of Art before establishing her own studio practice.

Zynsky is best known for her patented filet-de-verre technique, in which thousands of individually colored glass threads are gathered, fused, and shaped to create sculptural vessels. The process allows her to build complex surfaces from vivid bands of color while retaining evidence of the individual threads within the finished work. Her vessels frequently feature undulating forms and richly layered color relationships, reflecting her interest in natural structures, light, and organic growth.

Her work has been exhibited extensively in the United States and internationally and is represented in major public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Corning Museum of Glass. Zynsky has received numerous honors for her contributions to contemporary glass, including a MacArthur Fellowship in 2005.

Toots Zynsky remains an important figure in contemporary glass, with her work bridging sculpture, craft, and fine art through an innovative approach to material, color, and form.