Jeremy Swanz created two Mercurial installations for Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani. Each sculpture comprises dozens of blown glass elements with a layer of silver on the interior, creating opaque amorphous mirrored elements. The color palettes used are derived from the landscape of Hawaii from Mauka to Makai- greens and amber to suggest the lush and fertile flora of the aina, and shades of blue to express the inspiration, beauty, and power of the ocean. His intention in making the Mercurials is to suggest conscious transition, the act of moving between points with intention and awareness. Visually he seeks to present a reflective material that appears to be transmuting between liquid and solid across space. Metaphorically, he wanted to express the essence of self-awareness and arrival, with the hope that these sculptures would visually entrain guests of the Halepuna Waikiki and bring awareness to their personal arrival at a new space in time, a place we call paradise.
Mercurials Mauka I & II by Jonathan Swanz, 2019, Blown Glass, Silver
(Located on walls along the promenade across from each other and 2nd set located on walls in The Gardens)
Jonathan has been crafting art for nearly 20 years developing facility in a variety of media with a focused refinement in the glass techniques of blowing, casting, carving, and sculpting. He has worked with exceptional artists across Europe and the US, including Paris, Venice, Copenhagen, New York, Seattle, and Chicago. He has completed extensive commercial and residential architectural commissions in Cincinnati, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Louisville, KY, Honolulu, HI, Los Angeles, CA and New York, NY, and has pieces in the permanent collections of 21C Museum and Hilliard Lyons of Louisville, KY, the Headley Whitney Museum of Lexington, KY, the Hawaii State Art Museum, The Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, Park Lane of Honolulu, and PNC Bank of New York, NY.
