Stepping into Chloe Riser’s studio on a warm Wednesday afternoon feels a bit like stepping inside one of her glass pieces. Sunlight filtered through large windows brings everything into bright focus. As I meet her at the door, she greets me with warmth, but there’s an intimidating intensity in her gaze. Grounded, deliberate, and anti-social media, Chloe seems less concerned with projecting herself outward and more focused on her internal world, which presents in an interesting way in her art and process.
If you’ve ever been into The Evergreen Gallery in downtown Evergreen, you’ve certainly come across Chloe’s iconic glowing glass aspens. Delicate and precise, they are shrined in a mysterious fractal glow that seems to come from within the glass itself. When backlit, they positively come to life. Chloe spends a lot of time outside studying the real thing. She takes her observations with her into the studio and applies it to her art: she’s always trying to capture the truest, most lifelike essence of her subject. A less-is-more approach combined with trusting the nature of her material is a good concoction for happy results. There’s only so much micromanaging one can do with loose shards (“frit”) on tempered glass. Working with this material has taught Chloe how to let go of perfection. The nature of the glass is naturally imprecise, lending itself to more impressionist results that rely on texture and light to build detail. For Chloe, this is hugely rewarding. The kiln is the final artist—when she opens it after an overnight firing, she never knows what she’ll get. The impossibility of full control is part of what makes these nature-inspired projects feel so organic and lifelike.
“The impossibility of full control is part of what makes these nature-inspired projects feel so organic and lifelike.”
There’s a very real element of fragility and impermanence in Chloe’s glaspens. Not only are they physically delicate, but they also represent temporary stages in the season-cycle of aspen trees. Those who witness fall in Colorado know that it is short and, for many, that is part of what makes it so special. Chloe seems intrigued with impermanence in a similarly fresh way, as though the notion holds hands with imperfection. She is occasionally also possessed by thoughts of smashing her finished aspens after they bloom from the kiln. Delicate and soft combine with chaos in her process, too. She likes to listen to punk and metal bands, including Bring Me the Horizon and Spiritbox, “while working on the daintiest things,” she laughs.
Chloe recently picked up the torch from Arlyss Grosz, whose original glaspens have been a Gallery staple for decades. “Very tiny lady, but very big shoes,” she notes with a grin. The Evergreen Gallery was interested in finding someone to continue her legacy, and Chloe was more than happy to learn: “I don’t know if it was something I would have started on my own, but there was a need for it,” she tells me. Her mother, Beth Riser, owns The Evergreen Gallery, and she had bought glass materials with the intention of learning Arlyss’ trade herself. Running a gallery is busy work, however, and Beth realized she just didn’t have time. Chloe stepped in.
Because Chloe grew up in and around the Gallery, she is very familiar with many of the artists that have a home there, including Arlyss. Having been raised in a world of artists and art sales, she also has good insight into demand. “Art felt like a necessity growing up,” Chloe tells me. As an adult, she treats her work with similar passion. Balancing artistic interest with professional practicality, Chloe is expanding her art into new territory while also considering: What do people connect with? What sells? While her predecessor focused primarily on aspen trees, Chloe has enjoyed experimenting with different subjects, including hummingbirds, bees, and glass pendants. You can explore and admire all of Chloe’s beautiful work at The Evergreen Gallery and the Owl Cat Shoppe in downtown Evergreen.
