Spooky Selections from the CAT Collection

Oct 1

1 out of 10 Scaries:

This person In Disguise is both endearing and a little creepy.

Tall cast-glass figure with a mask-like face and elongated ears or horns on the top of its head.

Close-up of tall cast-glass figure with a mask-like face and elongated ears or horns on the top of its head.

Janusz Walentynowicz (American, born Poland, 1956). In Disguise, 1993. Cast glass and steel. 37 3/8 × 10 1/2 × 8 1/2 in. Cafesjian Art Trust 2023.187.1.

2 out of 10 Scaries:

A night spent in this Spirit House would result in a few ghost encounters.

A glass sculpture that looks like a tall green, yellow, and purple building.

José Chardiet (American, born Cuba, 1956). Spirit House, 1987. Cased, hot-worked, and sandblasted glass. 7 1/4 × 3 1/8 × 3 1/8 in. Cafesjian Art Trust 2023.177.2.

3 out of 10 Scaries:

With imbedded bodies, mysterious objects, and visual references to the afterlife, this boat is sailing somewhere scary.

Long sand-cast glass boat sculpture containing embedded human-like forms.

Bertil Vallien (Swedish, born 1938). Beginning, 1987. Sand cast glass, copper. 5 1/4 × 78 × 4 1/2 in. Cafesjian Art Trust 2023.25.6.

CAT Museum Object in Focus: Bertil Vallien. Beginning, 1987.

4 out of 10 Scaries:

What happened on this chair?! Perhaps spontaneous liquefaction? No doubt spooky.

Bronze chair topped with slumped translucent glass that appears melted or liquefied.

Daisuke Shintani (Japanese, active 20th century). Untitled, about 2000-2010. Cast bronze, slumped glass. 27 1/4 × 8 × 11 in. Cafesjian Art Trust 2024.252.1.

5 out of 10 Scaries:

A stack of severed heads! Eeek!

Glass goblet decorated with stacked sculpted heads and ornate detailing

Close-up of glass goblet decorated with stacked sculpted heads and ornate detailing.

Robert Mickelsen (American, born 1951). Goblet, 1994. Blown and flameworked glass. 18 3/8 x 4 1/8 in. On loan from the collection of Thomas Cafesjian and Kathleen Cafesjian Baradaran 5DA-1048.

6 out of 10 Scaries:

This ghostly, emaciated body looks like something from another world.

Tall glass figure shaped like an elongated torso with a smaller blue shape inside it.

Robin Grebe (American, born 1957). Reservoir, about 1980–1990. Pâte de verre and blown glass, slate, ceramic, and copper. 46 × 10 5/8 × 8 1/4 in. Cafesjian Art Trust 2023.17.2.

7 out of 10 Scaries:

This combination of a coyote skull and a metal gear has the vibe of an abandoned junk yard in the desert.

Mixed-media sculpture combining a coyote skull shape, frosted glass, and industrial metal elements.

Clifford Rainey (Northern Irish, born 1948). Secret Circle: Coyote Aluminum Sun, Cultural/Environmental series, 1992. Cast glass, partially frosted sheet glass, cast aluminum, and steel. 24 1/8 × 18 × 6 in. Cafesjian Art Trust 2023.176.1

8 out of 10 Scaries:

This ghoulish sea of empty faces looks like a mob of zombies coming right for you.

Amber colored cast-glass sculpture of human figures clustered together.

Ann Wolff (Swedish, born 1937). Performance, 2010. Cast glass. 26 × 33 1/4 × 9 in. Cafesjian Art Trust 2024.9.5.

9 out of 10 Scaries:

This woman looks like she has seen some terrible things.

Kevin Irvin (American). Untitled I, 1996. Mixed media on canvas. 14 x 14 in. Cafesjian Art Trust T.AS.1052.

10 out of 10 Scaries:

The favorite goblet of your sleep paralysis demon.

Etched glass goblet with curved horn-like decorations.

Close-up of etched glass goblet with curved horn-like decorations.

Robert Mickelsen (American, born 1951). Hunter Kudu, 1994. Blown, etched, and flameworked glass. 15 5/8 x 7 x 7 in. On loan from the Collection of Thomas Cafesjian and Kathleen Cafesjian Baradaran. Cafesjian Art Trust T.AS.648

Cafesjian Art Trust Museum