Josh Simpson: Galactic Landscapes

This solo show of innovative works by renowned glass artist Josh Simpson reflects his fascination with astrophysics, deep space, and the cosmos. Exemplifying the intersection of art and science, Simpson’s continued experimentation with technique and materials results in extraordinary art glass.

Galactic Landscapes features 30 of Simpson’s imaginative Planets – solid glass spheres that suggest distant worlds and landscapes, ranging in size from that of a golf ball to a basketball. There are also 14 large-diameter discs, 14 to 18 inches across, full of swirling textures and colors that evoke nebulae, colliding stars, and other astronomical events. There are two platters or disks that incorporate a Saturn-like sphere in the center.

The centerpiece of the gallery is an original Orrery, a moving, mechanical model of the solar system, made in collaboration with artist Erik Van Cort, that incorporates Simpson’s glass spheres as the sun, the planets, and their moons. This exhibit also features three of Simpson’s inventive Portals, sculptural objects inspired by meteorites and geodes. A video showing Josh Simpson and his crew making one of the megaplanets is part of the exhibition as well.

“It is a thrill to present this exciting exhibition of exquisite glass objects created by Josh Simpson. While his work is widely celebrated, he is very much a New Englander, based in nearby Shelburne Falls,” says Craig Langlois, the Berkshire Museum’s chief experience officer. “Because glassblowing is a convergence of art and science, especially when it takes the form of an exploration of space and astronomy, this work fits our Museum’s mission perfectly.”

Credit: Exhibition overview from
museum website.