Violetta is part of a series Tony Kuepfer created in 1983. The first works were made to be part of a dance performance, providing visual boundaries within, around and under which the dance was performed. The name ‘Violetta’ is often found in historical literature and myths and has been associated with the qualities of innocence and free will. Like much of Kuepfer’s work, Violetta combines vivid colour and a complex, sculptural form to create an expressive and spectacular whole. This work was created by blowing hot glass before rolling and moulding it. Coloured glass was then added to decorate the form, which in turn was heated so it became one with the underlying glass. Kuepfer was born in Portland, Oregon and graduated from the University of Portland. He moved to New Zealand in 1973 and set up a studio in a disused church in Inglewood, Taranaki. Kuepfer exhibited throughout New Zealand in the 1970s and 1980s and his work is held in several major public collections.