Collingswood, NJ
In recent years, climate change has become a prominent topic in our daily conversations, prompting me, as an artist, to reassess my role within our ecosystem and seek more eco-friendly materials. This search led me to glass, a renewable material with a rich history that aligns with both my values and my creative vision. Over years of experimentation, I have developed a unique process that merges glass cold-working, lapidary, and traditional jewelry-making techniques.
Cold-working is a centuries-old, stone-like method of shaping glass without heat. I work with glass in its solid state at room temperature, using water to cool it during processes such as grinding, drilling, cutting, polishing, and engraving with stone wheels. I begin by laminating multiple sheets of colored glass beneath a thicker layer of optical glass, then cut the slab with a wet diamond saw. From there, I shape the glass on flat-lap wheels or a water-fed lathe and refine it with stone wheels and carbide grit. At no point is the glass melted or pressed into a mold. The carved optical layer on top acts as both a prism and a magnifying lens, amplifying color, light, shadow, and reflection.
Once the main glass form is established, I often carve back into the surface to fully integrate the composition, incorporating elements such as natural gemstones, mineral specimens, or fabricated precious metal components. I also layer and stack elements to convey the chaos and complexity of nature. Inspired by both nature and imagination, my work explores the dynamic tension between organic and constructed forms. An example of this can be seen in my most recent series submitted to this show, particularly Image number four, Atmospheric Rise. In this piece, I explore the intersection of human creation and natural forces by combining organic textures, like bubbling water, with architectural structures and by merging precious and non-precious materials.
Through this process, I aim to craft wearable small-scale sculpture that conveys depth, movement, and resonance, reflecting both the beauty and fragility of the natural world while honoring the skill and precision of traditional craft techniques.
