The creation of stained glass can be traced back to ancient Egypt and Rome, but we usually associate it with its popularity in Western Christianity, such as in the Biblical stories that adorn chapels and cathedrals. For Timo FahlerThis tradition forms the basis of a multimedia practice that is influenced by Meso -american Codice Images, national symbols and motifs found in older European churches.
Stained glass is a “stories telling medium in which I can draw on everything I experience, everything I study, read, believe in and even distrust,” Fahler tells Colossal. “We are driving in a unique era of questioning reality, the last sigh of the living generation before automation integrates itself via AI, chatgpt and digital interface.” He regards his practice as the display of this era and even, in a sense, immortal.
Fahler worked for the first time with lighting Glass while studying ceramics at the Kansas City Art Institute, which led a constant interest in the medium. He recently started to include what he calls ‘reliable drawings’, which form the basis for much of his work. “I was curious to make the unpredictability of the light become a part of the ‘materials’ with which I work,” says the artist.
Many of the sculptures from Fahler are framed or supported by heavy metals such as rusted steel, iron gates and gates. Graighted glass floats a few centimeters from the wall and casts colorful shadows. For his most recent works, Fahler places barriers on top of the glass to not only consider the viewer’s relationship with the image, but also the implications of people who are excluded from liberties and knowledge. “I draw from many different sources – historical, mythological and fantastic – all of which include my ‘heritage’,” says the artist.
In a piece entitled after the poem ‘New colossus“By Emma Lazarus, who is cut in bronze on the pedestal of the Liberty, Fahler uses a gate to frame a detail of Lady Liberty’s arm built from small glasses of squares soldered by the facets of a chain-link fence. Historically, the statue in this context refers a powerful symbol of Welcome, Amnesty and Inclusivity, the statue refers to how the access of new immigrants is nowadays more disturbing and often blocked.
Snakes, dragons, eagles and landscapes go together with realistic portraits and references to historical moments and national emblems, such as Mexico’s Crest with a gold eagle on a cactus with a snake in his claws. The image revolves around the flag of the nation, which represents the resilience, courage and spirit of the Mexican people. Following his representation of the Statue of Liberty, the icon is barricaded and merged with iron bars.
Fahler is currently working on a solo presentation with Sebastian Gladstone This fall. He and his family have just moved to Amsterdam, where he shares, he starts a “zero point/clean canvas” in a new studio, and he plans to explore ideas about the complexity of sovereignty, expatrisation and a rapidly evolving global society .
“The world is changing so quickly that we cannot understand it collectively, let alone keep it up!” he says. “I am excited to work on it and look forward to the work that it displays.”
Find more about Fahler’s website And Instagram.
