Commissioned by Opus One Winery in Oakville, California. From the vantage point of Opus One vineyards, the night sky reveals a stunning array of constellations, including Cassiopeia (the Queen) and Lacerta (the Lizard). Developing the concept for this piece, I pictured the vineyard workers and winemakers laboring beneath these celestial bodies, nurturing the vines, harvesting the grapes, and perfecting each vintage.

This work is a tribute to the specific and special place in Napa Valley where Opus One stands and where the grapes grow. I transformed the star maps of Cassiopeia and Lacerta into an abstract sculpture, which like the building ”...stands in subtle celebration of the land and the open space that surrounds the estate.” The round star forms are a nod to the architecture of Opus One and the ‘clayness’ expressed in the surfaces of the stars reminds us how the earth, or terroir is so influential in wine making.

The work embodies the idea that nature serves as a profound backdrop for extraordinary creations to thrive. Furthermore, I believe the stars above are a universal bond for humanity, enchanting and expansive beauty, that helps to remind us of our place on this earth.

The stars were individually hand sculpted of stoneware clay, with accents of porcelain and groggy black clay. The stars are made by pressing in a linear design into the thick clay, adding colored accent clays, perforating the piece to let light through, then carving out the back. The glazed surface is hand-painted in a midnight blue gloss and semi-matte gold. The glaze firing is to 2200° F. 

A steel, powder-coated framework supports the ceramic elements and acts as the lighting fixture to create the illusion of a floating sculpture and housing for the wiring. This framework was designed by Kala and fabricated by Martin Munson in Sonoma, CA. Once completed, the stars are adhered onto rings that mount onto the face of the metal junction boxes, allowing the light to flicker through the stars.

105.5" l x 40.5" h x 22.5" d  (268 cm x 102.8 cm x 57 cm)

Stoneware, porcelain, glaze, steel, low voltage LED lighting

2023