Karen Lamonte: Floating World Unique Experience at Imagine Museum
Karen Lamonte: Floating World is one of the main attractions at Imagine Museum in St. Pete FL. Karen LaMonte is known for her sculptures, particularly her figurative works made from cast glass. The Floating World series by Karen LaMonte explores themes of fragility, transience, and the human form.
Karen LaMonte’s Biography:
Karen Lamonte is a American artist known for her life-size sculptures in ceramic, bronze, marble and cast glass. Born and grew up in Manhattan, New York. She graduated from Rhode Island School of Design ( RISD ) with a Bachelor in Fine Arts with honors. In 1999, She traveled to Prague on a fulbright scholarship to work in the glass casting studios of Eastern Bohemia that is where she created her glass dress Vestige (2000). Pls visit her website KarenLamonte for more information.
In 2007, Karen Lamonte traveled to Kyoto, Japan to further explore and enhance her knowledge about traditional Japanese Kimono, she awarded a 7 months fellowship to study about the clothing, culture and identity. This was where the Floating World Kimono Series was inspired.
Karen Lamonte has permanent collections and exhibitions around the US and some other countries. You can check her website for current exhibitions and upcoming events, click HERE to redirect to her website. Also you can the check the list on her Wikipedia.
Glass Sculptures Materials
In these sculptures, Karen LaMonte creates a life-sized or larger-than-life kimonos made entirely of glass, bronze, ceramic and iron materials. Karen LaMonte’s process involves casting the glass kimonos from molds, carefully sculpting and shaping the material to capture the delicate folds and details of fabrics. For Floating World, her materials are defined by their place and origin in the world. Pls. visit Imagine Museum.
GLASS
Spirituality
BRONZE
Human Intention
CERAMIC
Humanity
IRON
Transience
Parts of Kimono
Karen LaMonte: Floating World Kimono Series
Glass Sculpture
This magnificent glass sculpture if I’m not mistaken is Karen LaMonte’s cast glass sculpture called Young Maiko where obi knot is at the front. I am actually learning about Kimonos as I go along in this blog.
At the background are vintage Japanese kimono fukuro obi silk.
In this Karen LaMonte’s cast glass sculpture is the back of the kimono that depicts the large sash called Obi. This sculpture is similar to her Ojigi Bowing in her website @karenlamonte.com.
Before late 17th century, Obi the sashes used to be tied in the front, but now were mostly tied in the back.
Another beautiful cast glass kimono sculpture called Young Bijin. Here, the kimono looks like really floating just like her series ” Floating World “. Karen LaMonte describes her art explores themes of presence and absence, beauty and ephemerality.
Meme: In this photo: You can see them looks like having a night meeting and discussing about something like ” Hey what’s up? Can you see me? Lol..j/k
Pls check the Floating World video on our Facebook Reels CLICK HERE.
Rusted Cast Iron Sculpture
I love this one!! Definitely one of my favorites!!
Ceramic Sculpture
This is a child’s kimono in ceramic glass sculpture.
Bronze Sculpture
The beautifully made Odoriko in bronze sculpture uses the form of a kimono to explore ideas of beauty and identity.
Glass Dress: Reclining Nocturne
Karen LaMonte calls these sculptures NOCTURNES: Dark, seductive & sublime. A reclining glass dress of a female without the physical form. They are build on the tradition of the female nude and probe the tension between humanism and eroticism, the physical and the ethereal, the body and the spirit.
WoW!!
And then, there’s US!! Gotta put some humor in here!! 🙂
Japanese Artifacts
Overall, we enjoyed the Floating World Kimono series by Karen Lamonte. It is mesmerizing to see life size glass sculptures in person. And what intrigues me is the fact that these glass kimonos like Karen Lamonte said without a body, a physical form but is perfectly shaped and without a human head. Hence, it looks like it’s floating though ” Floating World ” is a translation of Ukiyo, the name of pleasure quarters in Edo, Japan.
If you plan to visit Tampa Bay/St Pete area, stop by @ Imagine Museum, it is worth a visit!! It is a contemporary glass art museum. I loved and enjoyed my visit so much. I will be blogging a separate one about what to see @ Imagine Museum as I have tons of beautiful photos.
I hope you guys enjoyed this one and I hope you continue to support and visit my website often for updates and new blogs. Thank you for your support in advance!!
Watch out for my upcoming blog on what you see inside Imagine Museum. It is full of mesmerzing!!
Featured Photos for Imagine Museum Blog soon..
Previous Blogs:
The Ultimate Bacchanal Buffet Experience: A Feast Fit for a Caesar
Discover the Stunning Statues at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas
Til next time,
Author: Sheila
I am a Physical Therapist by profession who loves to travel and blog. I am fur mama ti my little girl Little Bit. Life is too short!! Let’s enjoy it & create memories together!!
wow awesome!
Thanks so much!!🙏🏻😊
Amazing!! I’m pretty sure you enjoyed it I love it. I think it’s interesting.
I loved it. Would like to explore some more museums in St. Pete. Thank you!!💙😊
Beautiful!!! Captivating for sure!!!
Thank you thank you!! New blogpost coming up soon!!💙😊
Very nice!! Post some more, you are good!!
Aww!! Thank you!! Sorry for late reply. New blogpost coming up soon!!💙😊