GLASS GARDENS
Giant plants bloom at night
The waterlilies in Jason Gamrath’s garden can’t compare to the glass giant that floats in the Victoria Room at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Unlike the real thing, this 14foot-wide sculpture stays open when the sun goes down.
Beginning Sept. 1, the Victorian glasshouse in Oakland will be open until 11 p.m. to showcase night views of “SUPER.NATURAL,” an exhibition that features more than 40 massive orchids, columbine and other plants created by the Seattle glass master.
Mr. Gamrath, the only artist in a long line of doctors and nurses, was drawn to nature from a young age. He was “blown away” by the delicacy of a skeletal leaf or the geometry of a wildflower. “I could look at a dandelion for days!”
When he took up glassblowing at age 16, his art morphed from abstract to hyper-realistic. The natural world became his muse.
“Look at how beautiful this is. Look at how it makes you feel. How do I replicate the experience of walking in the woods?”
The sculptor, who trained at Dale Chihuly’s prestigious Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Wash., returned to Phipps recently to help design special lighting for Phipps Nights. While walking through the conservatory Wednesday, he was amazed at how much the live greenery had grown since his sculptures were installed in May. The show continues through Nov. 5.
Mr. Gamrath says he is inspired by the plants in his North Seattle garden and greenhouse, where he grows about 60 varieties of