populuxe

I just discovered this amazing artist named Andy Gersh from Burbank, CA. He creates gorgeous modern art pieces made from glass. His creations range from delicate jewelry designs to huge glass art sculptures!

Andy was kind enough to chat with Retro Info about his glass art.

Please tell us about the art you create.

It all starts with an idea. Some sort of image that I see in public, in
nature or in my mind, etc. From there, I decide what type of glass and
what colors I could use to convey the idea most clearly. Every now and
then, I'll follow a tangent that takes the glasswork in a direction that
I never anticipated, but I'm happy about it because it can turn a
routine piece into a real surprise for me.

more after the jump

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My technique is simple. Inside my glass kiln, I stack the chosen colors
of glass on top of one another and layer in other forms of glass (thin
rods, crushed glass or "frit", textured sheet glass, etc.). I let the
heat of the kiln reach a toasty 1500º when all the pieces of glass
"fuse" into one another. After an anxious 18 hour firing, I open the
kiln to see - for the first time - whether the art work is finished, a
disaster or in need of additional techniques to finish it off.

Would you say art glass is your specialty?

Yes, art glass is my specialty. Fused glass, to be specific. I've
dabbled in painting (acrylic, watercolors & gouache) where I honed my
composition skills but I never really felt comfortable calling myself a
"painter". I did a few small glass mosaics from kits at my local craft
shop, which I loved, but it wasn't until I really jumped in to making my
first stained glass panel that I knew that glass was the medium that
could convey my abstract style & sensibilities best. I soon left the
stained glass work in the dust for a more contemporary feel which I
achieve best in Fused Glass.

How did you get started? How long have you been an artist?

I studied animation, filmmaking & design at the California Institute of
the Arts (CalArts) right after high school. That was from 1991- 1993.
It really opened my eyes to design of all kinds; great stuff, horrible
stuff, pretentious stuff, understated stuff... the whole gambit. It was
up to me to pick & choose what appealed to me and what I would steer
away from. I'd doodle little thumbnail sketches of small design ideas
for a long time until I got real acquanted with glass. I like to think
that those small sketches - mostly abstract - were my first attempts to
chisel out what would eventually be my style.

After a decade out of college, a co-worker of my wife had a box of rusty
glass tools and broken glass shards. She was a stained glass hobbyist
and was giving it up. She asked my wife if I might like the box.
Knowing that I enjoyed making mosaics, my wife said "Yes!" and it has
been my addiction ever since.

What inspires you?

Interesting images & textures, mostly. I love the macro feature on my
camera a lot. It has forced me to NOT look at the whole picture, but at
tiny pieces of the picture... the parts that I find most interesting. I
love picture books, too. Art books. Comic books. Architectural
elements on buildings. Uber-stylish movies (Delicatessen, 300, The
Hudsucker Proxy, Brazil...) And of course the myriad of glass artists
that blow me away every day.

Who are your influences?

I'm mostly inspired by graphic artists that have developed styles so
unique it feels as if their environments are real yet surreal. Eyvind
Earle, Syd Mead, Craig Kellman, Dan Krall, Lou Romano, Stephen Quiller,
Frank Lloyd Wright, Erik Tiemens, Mary Blair, Saul Bass, Chris Turnham,
Pixar, Frank Miller... The list is endless.

Is working with glass very difficult?

The glasswork can get tricky when cutting precision cuts. While making
a stained glass window, every piece has to be perfect or your window
will end up poorly sized and looking unprofessional. I usually wear
latex gloves in my studio as a preventative measure against getting cut.
Personally, the hardest part about an artwork is the original design.
Without good design, all you have is sheet glass. With good design, you
have something more profound. More memorable. More inspiring.

How long does it take to make a piece?

I hate to say it but it never takes more than a few hours to create a
piece. The hardest part, at least the most time consuming part is
coming up with the concept and the style. Once the image is thought
out, then the actual production aspect of it is only a small percentage
of the time involved. Tack on half a day for the kiln to do its magic
and viola! A unique, one-of-a-kind piece of artglass.

What is your favorite design you have created?

I like to challenge myself by making pieces that I've personally never
seen before. That could be in a 1" x 1" pendant or in a 50' long
sculpture, suspended from the ceiling. I've lately been into taking
thin rods of 2mm glass and bending it over a flame. Doing that, I get
these great sharp angles that can be manipulated to convey the idea I'm
seeking. I then take the googie-inspired shapes and incorporate them
into simple plates that soon take on a Retro personality.

Do you make custom artwork for clients?

I love making custom pieces for clients. I love it when they come up
with ideas that I use as a starting point, but I also love it when a
client says, "Make whatever you want." I'm not too crazy about the
hoops I have to jump through in regards to corporate clients that have
very slow timeframes and many i's to dot and more t's to cross, but
those clients also seem to have grand ideas and large public spaces that
I'm thrilled that my glassworks resides in. I also have several
projects for other private clients that have seen my work and would like
something for their own residences. Ultimately I'm thrilled that anyone
would want artglass from me while there are thousands of super brilliant
glass artists out there.

What projects are you currently working on?

I've been commissioned to create a gigantic rose out of glass & steel
for a restaurant with "Rose" in its name. It's going to be about 7'
tall and 4' in diameter, attached to a cantilevered roofline. I'm also
working on a 8' tall x 44' long patio wall that is going to be made out
of glass & steel. Both projects are enormous in scope and each will
have a final product that I'll be able to stand back and admire and
think to myself, "I've never seen anything like THAT before." That
seems to be my motto. Either that, or "This is Not your Grandmother's
Stained Glass."

Do you have any advice for up and coming artists?

For any glass artists, you'll quickly realize how expensive the sheet
glass is. I'd suggest they make some sort of income while stocking up
with artglass pieces. Once you they have a nice supply, then the art
world is wide open to chase down. Nobody will take you seriously,
though is you only have ideas and passion but no product. Plus, you
learn all sorts of techniques and various results from doing test after
test after test. I don't know any glass artist that hasn't experimented
with shapes & color & technique for months if not years before calling
themself a glass artist.

Where are you located?

I live and work in Burbank, California.

Who is your muse?

I'm blessed to have a creative wife that is a great sounding board. She, Sharyn, is a great motivator and constantly pushes me to go further with my artwork after I don't think it can go any further. Having a strong ally in my corner is an amazing feeling.

all photos courtesy of Andy Gersh

Thank you Andy for enlightening us on fused glass art. I totally dig the retro/modern aesthetic of your glass designs. Best of luck in the future with your amazing glass art.