CRAFT OF MAINE-August 2009

by Rebecca Falzano

Four Maine artisans unlock the secrets of glass

Known for its fragility, its texture, its possibility, glass has been a medium for artists for thousands of years, starting with the earliest man-made glass objects around 3,500 B.C.E. This month, in continuation of MH+D’s Craft of Maine series on functional art, we feature four glassblowers who use a delicate combination of heat, balance, gravity, air pressure, and applied leverage to create works of art that are as beautiful as they are functional. The creations of these artists may range from platters to vases to vessels, but all employ texture, color, light, and form—not to mention technique—in uniquely eye-catching ways.

Terrill Waldman “My interests in glass are color and light; neither quality is ever static. I enjoy the process of blowing glass. It’s very sensual to work with a material that is continually melting. I am inspired by botanical forms, my natural or industrial surroundings.”

Charlie Jenkins “Handblown glass is a fluid medium that should not be forced. It is full of lessons if one’s paying attention, but I gain the most from glass when I let it do what it wants and then use that to my advantage.”

Richard Furneaux Remsen “It’s not the material that is the value,but the idea that infuses the material.”

David Jacobson “I employ contemporary colors with classical forms to bring a unique expression to each functional piece of glass I create. In my murrine work, I often employ texture with color. The uneven surface I get is intentional. And for me, the tactile experience is as important as the visual experience—my pieces are supposed to be touched.”