What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been: 1970s
Marquis knew early on that he needed to travel to Italy in order
to master murrine making, which in the United States was dem-
onstrated in books only. What he didn’t know was that he would
become responsible for sharing the process with the rest of the world,
giving birth to its international presence. “People thought I was
giving away secrets, but everyone should have access to the same
knowledge to see what they can do with it. I haven’t been copied
much, because I make very personal work that is hard to recreate.
And when I show people my process, they say, ‘Never mind. It’s
too much trouble.’”
Marquis had lived in the politically charged Berkeley of the
1960s, colored by numerous confrontations with the Oakland Draft
Board as well as participation in the People’s Park confrontation.
But his early American flag murrine was more about access to the
colored glass at the Venini factory than it was a political statement.
This changed once he created the Stars and Stripes in pill form,
American Acid Capsule, his commentary on the drug scene of that
time. Today, Marquis finds it humorous to remember how nation-
alistic the Italian factory workers believed him to be. “I was just
making things. The Americans got lucky with their flag. The Stars
and Stripes is one of the best patterns ever.”
Eventually Marquis learned to make letters, a sad day for those
who don’t enjoy four letter words. At Venini, the Italian workers
were somewhat confused by his flagship piece, which contained the
letters “f---.” They had only heard the f-word in combination with
the word you. The word was partially selected because it required
Marquis to make only three letters since the C and U were the same.
This new skill set was put to the ultimate test when in 1972, as part of
his UCB masters thesis, Marquis created his Lord’s Prayer murrina.
In 1978, Marquis was awarded a second NEA grant to develop
his favorite series, aptly titled Fabricated Weird. Anaerobic glues,
Loctite glues, and good epoxies were available for the first time,
ensuring unprecedented longevity. This was an invitation for
Marquis to begin incorporating objects from his collections with
his glasswork. “The work in this series is humorous, but there are
a lot of formal considerations—form, color, shape, and space. My
feeling is that if the piece is strong enough, it can stand on equal
footing with the humor.”Richard Marquis, One-Shot Paint Trophy #1,
blown glass, found objects, paint,
27" x 20-1/2" x 12", 2016.Richard Marquis, Crazy Quilt Teapot on Donuts,
blown glass, granulare and murrine techniques,
9-1/4" x 6-3/4" x 6-3/4", 2013. Courtesy of Bullseye
Projects, Portland, Oregon.http://www.GlassArtMagazine.com Glass Art TM • May/June 2016 • 7