Beth Lipman

In October, Beth Lipman was an artist in residence at S12. She is known for her sculptural works rooted in the still life tradition, and through materials such as glass, wood, metal, photography, and video, she explores themes of impermanence, abundance, and the passage of time. Her works reflect on humanity’s place in the Anthropocene and the traces we leave behind—both culturally and geologically.

Lipman has exhibited at institutions such as the Ringling Museum of Art, Milwaukee Art Museum, the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and Gustavsbergs Konsthall in Sweden. Her works are included in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Corning Museum of Glass, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, among others. She has received numerous awards and is represented by Nohra Haime Gallery (NY), Cade Tompkins Projects (RI), and Ferrin Contemporary (MA). Lipman lives in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin.

During her stay in Bergen, Lipman assembled the exhibition Ved Bordet, a unique collaboration in which over 50 glass artists from across the country contributed to the installation. Each artist received a photograph of a transparent glass object made by another participant—without a name, explanation, or context. This process was repeated several times, with each new work building on the previous one in a chain of visual interpretations. The result is a table covered with objects that each represent an artist’s presence, absence, and interpretation—a collective conversation in glass. The exhibition also includes a sculpture made from donated glass, ceramic, and stoneware objects that have been cut, reshaped, and glued together into the form of a table.

During her residency, Lipman also held a blowing demo, an artist talk, and participated in a panel discussion during the exhibition opening and the Norwegian Glass Artists’ annual seminar.

The residency was supported by the Alexander Tutsek Stiftung