Marlene Rose outdoors with her cast glass bell wall

 

Last week Marlene was flown out to Hawaii (the big island) by two new collectors to discuss an outdoor installation of her Buddha Wall series. Somehow the whole family managed to tag along!True Hawaiian hospitality resulted in many new friends. One in particular was familiar with another installation nearby that Marlene had created for a client, through the Angela King Gallery of New Orleans. A visit was arranged so Marlene could see one of her babies!

This Hawaiian Bell Wall is installed into a lava wall built specially to frame it.

The form of the Bell in this Wall is descended from the bronze bells of the Han dynasty. During the day the Hawaiian sun plays happily with the colors in the Bells, kicking and splashing, while at night they are illuminated from within to form a focal point for the gorgeous house. The house is built on the Kona side of the Island, and is surrounded by ancient frozen lava flows whose barren strength is punctuated with unexpected bursts of life and color, exactly counterpointing the structure and coloration of this Bell Wall.

The Asian ancestry of the Bells also fits well with the exotic ambiance of the Island aesthetic, and the composition as a whole parallels the fiery and volcanic origin of the land around it, lit by bursts of unexpected color.

A perfect fit, on so many levels…

PS Can’t wait for the next site visit! Marlene’s arm comes pre-twisted!