“Blown Glass with a New Orleans Accent”

Mark Rosenbaum, artist for Rosetree Glass: 

“It is through twenty years of working with glass that I have gained an understanding of the dialogue that is established between artist and material. A lapse of concentration can ruin a piece, but a controlled flick of the wrist or light breath through the blowpipe can give the piece a subtle curve or movement that makes the piece extraordinary.

It is this controlled spontaneity that makes glass so magical. I know that the weight from the additional glass bits on the side of the piece will stretch the form. But by using centrifugal force and holding the piece at the correct angle and speed, I can create a composition with the glass that allows both the glass and artist some influence on the final piece.

Glassblowing is much akin to a dance; the artist moves with respect and knowledge of the partner. Each has an important contribution to the final piece, but only one will lead – the artist. The dance, when completed, yields an object that was only conceived in one’s imagination or on paper, a tangible work as a result of collaboration between artist and material.”