Introduction

Christopher Wilmarth (1943–1987) is perhaps best known for his glass and steel sculptures, which he produced to explore the mystical and physical properties of light. His goal was to create works that would give people “places to generate experience.” Wilmarth had his first solo exhibition in New York in 1968, and he continued to show regularly for the rest of his career. He exhibited works in galleries and museums, as well as in his own venue, the Studio for the First Amendment, which he established in opposition to the commercial gallery system. His drawings, sculptures, and prints are now in numerous museums and private collections. The Harvard Art Museums began collecting his work in 1973 and have since acquired hundreds of objects from his oeuvre, including sculptures, paintings, drawings, sketchbooks, prints, and photographs, as well as thousands of archival documents given by the artist’s estate. These acquisitions have resulted in a collection of unusual depth and breadth, making the Harvard Art Museums a primary source for students, scholars, and collectors of Wilmarth’s work.