Artwork copyright Roger Nachman. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2016.

Artwork copyright Roger Nachman. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2016.

Empress Butterfly, 1998

Roger Nachman
(American, born 1953)

Location: Madison Elementary, Olympia

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Empress Butterfly is part of artist Roger Nachman's series of fantastical glass insects. They feature vibrant dichroic glass and whimsically imagined species names. Dichroic glass contains multiple colors that change depending on light and the viewer's position. He states, "rarely do we take the time or interest to admire the small details that make our world so beautiful and complete...as objects, these bugs represent the small details that we forget to acknowledge."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Olympia School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Roger Nachman is a Seattle-based glass artist and designer. He creates fused, kiln-formed, and kiln-cast glass sculptures and installations for public spaces.

Nachman graduated from the University of Colorado. He lived and worked in Kyoto, Japan for eight years between 1973 and 1985, where he was an important part of the Studio Glass Movement in Japan. Nachman also teaches kilnworking techniques for glass around the U.S. and abroad.