Article by stephen falsetti

Melting Artisans

Stephen Falsetti

Meet the Masters

T

reg Silkwood sits focused and entranced in his dance with the molten glass. His movements matched the grace and flow of the liquid. Entering the hot shop was like falling into a volcano, very warm with a deep rumbling hum. He heats the glass and pulls at it to produce the shape of a horse in a matter of seconds. He hands it to me as if it was nothing special. The horse is majestic, and strong, depicting the nature of Treg’s dance as an artist.

Silicon Valley glassblowing artists Treg Silkwood and Candace Martin create art that reflects nature, going against the trend of an ever-increasing obsession with technology. The world is moving towards a more technologicallydriven society in which art and nature are being disregarded. In a society that suffers from an increasing divide from the natural world, glassblowing offers a necessary connection and attention to nature.

3

I

ronically, glass is both an ancient art while the material itself is at the forefront of technology.

Treg and Candace work in the heart of Silicon Valley, the tech center of the world. Yet, they practice an art which has barely changed in thousands of years. Glass was discovered as “both a functional and decorative material” around 4 BC, but it wasn’t until the early Greek age that the art of glassblowing emerged (Wheeler 1). Treg and Candace’s medium represents the natural world as the most basic form of glass is sand. They use this old technology to unite modern people to the natural world by portraying it in their sculptures. It is important to stay connected to nature, for studies have shown that people “are healthier, happier, and perhaps even smarter and more creative when they have a connection to nature” (Cho 3). Treg and Candace depict their love of nature through the creation of their pieces that teaches people to treasure the art form, attempting to connect the viewers to the staggering beauty that nature can provide.

4

T

reg grew up in Montana, where his father was a biologist who encouraged natural exploration.

When Treg first went off to college, he initially studied biology and other courses required for medical school. He decided to switch his direction and moved to Alfred University in upstate New York to study art. There he was exposed to many different mediums that he was previously unaware of, and ended up settling on mixed media, sculpture and glass. In 1995 he spent a summer in Prague where he learned cold-working techniques and mold-melted Czech glass. After college Treg refined his glass making techniques, working at the Early American Glassware at Greenville Village, a museum. It was there that he became an exceptional gaffer, or glassblower. During his pursuit of graduate work he was honored to become one of the first glassblowers for Corning Museum of Glass, the Hot Glass Road Show. In 2002, he met Candace and they started Silkwood Glass in which the two collaborate on projects. Candace began as a sculptor and painter, but her love of color drew her to glass.

Treg says that they “are sculpting with color... [they] are painting with glass but it is all about the color going through the glass, the way it emits light.” Their collaborative effort is a fluid exchange of communication– a dance of color, design and form. In 2008, Treg was honored to be invited to Steuben to have a solo show of his work at their flagship store in New York. Treg began teaching at the Bay Area Glass Institute, or BAGI, in 2002 and is now the Artistic Director

“The older students were almost sullen, almost guarded, and by the end of Tregs instruction, there was a new life in all of them. They felt hope.” -Candace Martin and Senior Glass Instructor there.

Together Treg and Candace have traveled and taught around the world.

Teaching this art is as much a joy to Treg as is the creation of his art.

One such trip took Candace and Treg to Waterford Ireland in 2015.

The Waterford Crystal plant had closed in

2009 and most of the towns people had lost their jobs. A total of 680 people living in Waterford lost their jobs when Waterford Crystal went under (Lyall 1). The plant was eventually completely torn down in 2013. Due to this there was much tension among the townspeople on the subject of glass. Candace described

5

how “The older students were almost sullen, almost guarded, and by the end of Tregs instruction, there was a new life in all of them. They felt hope.” One of the students Treg taught was a man who had been working for 60 years as a glass engraver, but had never touched hot glass. Treg explains that “on [his] 60th anniversary of working glass, he blew his first bubble and made his first piece and it was like a kid in a sand box... it was just the coolest experience!”

This is exactly why Treg loves teaching, because he believes the most gratifying part of teaching is the ability to show and share that same feeling of magic with others.

Even though Treg has been a glassblower for over 20 years, he is still willing to try something new and fail. He continues to push his abilities and skills.

Glassblowing

6

requires physical stamina and strength, and according to Damon Gustafson, the director of BAGI, Tregs largest overarching challenge is that he takes on too much and he takes on projects that overtax his body. A good example of Treg and Candace’s willingness to take risks for their craft was a recent commission they had from Lazarus, an Austin, Texas brewery. They were asked to make 300 double handled goblets with a gold rim. Due to the complex nature of painting then firing the gold onto the glass, and despite Candace’s careful application, many of the rims formed bubbles forcing them to start over. For every ten that was made, four would be unacceptable, causing them to end up with boxes of goblets thrown away. As Treg states, “Often with commissions it’s a matter of making something

“If my viewers can experience the same sense of awe and excitement that I do when I am looking at things, then it is successful.”

-Treg Silkwood

that has not been made before, and so figuring out how to do it, and all the little nuances. Where I have a base knowledge of the material, everything outside of that becomes a challenge.” Their sculptural art pieces also often utilize textures and techniques that require Treg and Candace to think outside the box.

Their spiritual and emotional depictions of nature require them to stretch the envelope of glass technique to create beautiful modern representations of nature.

As a kid Treg was completely immersed in nature due to his surroundings. He would always try to find all of the things in this world that were different from the rest. He would walk on the

beach looking for sand dollars or arrowheads, anything that created that spark. One of the first memories of the joy nature brings him, was when when he had found an old fossil of a piece of turtle shell. Treg states that finding the shell made it so “that joy and excitement of finding something different and then having all this history behind it as well spurs that sort of awareness and excitement about the natural world.” This love of nature translates into stunning pieces of art that reflect the reverence that both Candace and Treg feel towards the natural world.

Treg and Candace plan to continue to exercise their abilities and push the limits of glass art.

They feel deep gratitude to be

able to do what they most love every day. Treg considers himself a humble healer, and through his art he is connecting people to the beauty of our world. He hopes for strong patrons so that he and Candace can continue to produce these amazing pieces of art. Treg will continue his path as a teacher awakening new generations to this ancient art.

Treg describes the spirit of his work: “Basically enabling people to experience wonder is kinda at the root of what I do. If my viewers can experience the same sense of awe and excitement that I do when I am looking at things, then it is successful.”

7

Works Cited

Cho, Renee. “Why We Must Reconnect With Nature.” State of the Planet. Columbia University, 26 May 2011. <http://blogs.ei.columbia. edu/2011/05/26/why-we-must-reconnect-with-nature/>.

Accessed 23 Apr. 2017.

Gustafson, Damon. Personal interview. 30 March 2017.

Lyall, Sarah. “The Factory’s Closed, but the Workers Keep Showing Up.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 09 Mar. 2009. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/world/ europe/10waterford.html>. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

Martin, Candace. Personal interview. 14 April 2017.

Silkwood, Treg. Personal interview. 8 March 2017.

Writers, IrishCentral Staff. “Sad Day as Iconic Waterford Crystal Plant Demolished.”

IrishCentral.com. Irish Central News, 24 Jan. 2014. <http://www.irishcentral.com/news/sad-day-as-iconicwaterford-crystal-plant-dem olished-227507441-237782611>. Accessed 15 Apr. 2017.

Wheeler, W. Joe. “History of Glass Blowing.” ASGS - History of Glassblowing. N.p., 31 Mar. 2014. <http://asgs-glass.org/mo/index.php/2014-03-31-19-4710>. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

8

S

tephen Falsetti is a junior at Freestyle Academy. He enjoys 3-Dimensional design and problem solving. He has recently developed a large fascination for glass working and sculpture, and hopes to learn the medium.

His longest standing passion is for cars, and he plans to explore industrial design in college.

Stephen spends his free time creating various forms of art and has a large love for nature.

9

10