Mieke Groot
Figure 1. Lilac glass vase with purple glass dot decoration and with clear glass, 1977

MIEKE GROOT

Dirk Schrijvers

Posted 22 May 2014

Share this:

|


		Introduction Mieke Groot, (°1949; The Netherlands) studied from 1969 until 1974 at the Jewelry Department and from 1974 until 1976 at the Glass Department of the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In 1976, she started together with Richard Meitner ‘General Glass” one of the first glassblowing studio’s in the Netherlands, which was dismantled end of 2013. From 1981-2000, she was a tutor at the Glass Department of the Gerrit Rietveld Academy and worked as a consultant for different glass factories (e.g. Royal Leerdam Glass Factory, Leerdam, The Netherlands; Sarner Cristal, Sarnen, Switzerland; Stolzle Oberglas, Bärnbach, Autstria) and was guest teacher in multiple institutions (e.g. Musée-Atelier du Verre, Sars-Poteries, France; North Lands Creative Glass, Lybster, Scotland, United Kingdom; Corning Studio of Glass, Corning, NY, USA; Espace Verre, Montreal, Canada). From 1996 until 2006, she was the curator of the Glass Museum Alter Hof Herding, Ernsting Foundation, Coesfeld-Lette, Germany and from 2009 until 2013 she was artistic director of North Lands Creative Glass, Lybster, Scotland. Her work is included in international public collections.

Evolution of the work of Mieke Groot
Mieke Groot started producing classical colorful blown vases from the midst 1970’s (Figure 1).
From the 1980’s on, she started to experiment with enameling of the glass, which became an important aspect in her later work. She produced a series of flasks (Figure 2) and vase-forms with different themes and atmospheres (Figure 3).
A turning point in her carrier was the participation to the exhibition “'Beelden in glas” in 1986 in Fort Asperen, Asperen, The Netherlands, in which she constructed the work 'Slappe stenen' consisting of casted glass bricks in an existing window. This led to a series of objects and vases based on black and white brick objects of sand-casted, enameled and laminated glass bricks in end 1980^th/early 1990’s (Figure 4).
From the 1993, she started to experiment with thick enamels on blank, free-blown vase forms. First she experimented with single color enamel on different shapes of vases, based on the impressions of her visits to Africa. Later, more than one color was used to make intricate patterns on the vases (Figure 5).

Mieke Groot
Figure 2. Glass flacons, 1982

Mike Groot
Figure 3. Form-blown glass bottle-object with colored enameled exterior, 1984

Mieke Groot
Figure 4. Brick vase, 1992

Mieke Groot Figure 5. Enameled vase, 2000


The flat enamel layer became 3-dimensional and thicker, coming loose from the surface in the terrazzo series. While experimenting with different textures of enamels, she made a series quite different of her work until then with paintings of floral themes on a clear carrier from 2002 until 2004 (Figure 6). After this episode, she returned to the search of colored and black enamels with different textures leading to decorative applications (Figure 7) or spikes that cover the whole container (Figure 8). The latest work shows a smooth enamel like water drops applied on transparent colored vases (Figure 9).		Mieke Groot Figure 6. Vase with floral theme

Mieke Groot
Figure 7. Free blown brown glass with grey enamel and colored dots, 2007

Mieke Groot
Figure 8. Enameled vase with spikes

Mieke Groot
Figure 9. Water drops enamel applied on transparent colored vase


Mieke Groot Figure 10. Clear glass serica vase with wide broken open white layer, 1982		Multiples by Mieke Groot Besides these unique pieces, she also made multiples and serica, which were produced in her glass studio, different factories or commissioned by individual organizations. They reflect the themes that she developed during the time span these multiples were designed and produced. Already in 1982, a series of multiples consisting of a simple blown vase with a broken open white application, accessible for the broad public was produced (Figure 10).

Mieke Groot Figure 11. Amaryllis; form-blown glass with yellow enamel, 1997

Later on she produced a series of clear glass vases with silver applications and a wide undulating border.
For the “Vrienden van Modern Glas”; a multiple consisting of vase blown in a cast and painted with a crème colored enamel was produced in an edition of 39 (Figure 11).

In 2001, she was, together with Richard Meitner again invited by the “Vrienden van Modern Glass” to develop the members object. "Les Amis", consists of three separate, matching blown shapes, designed together with Richard Meitner. Malainy Sow made in cooperation with Mieke and Richard the matching behind-glass-painting in which the three artists are represented. It was executed in a limited edition of 65 (Figure 12).

Jewelry
From the 2000’s, she started to produce jewels, mainly necklaces in glass (Figure 13). First they were completely constructed in glass. Later on, she combined glass elements with semi-precious stones and tin beads, which she designs and are made in Senegal by craftman Moussa Thiam (Figure 14).

Mieke Groot
Figure 13. Necklace in glass

Mieke Groot
Figure 14. Necklace in glass and semiprecious stones

Mieke Groot
Figure 12. Les amis