Reflections

Write about the history of glassblowing :

Glass can occur naturally; causes include volcanic eruptions, lightning strikes, and meteorite impacts, during which certain rocks melt at high temperature, then cool quickly and solidify. Such natural glass includes obsidian, from volcanic origin, and obsidianite, from extraterrestrial origin. Glassblowing is a glass forming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble (or parison) with the aid of a blowpipe (or blow tube). A person who blows glass is called a glassblower, glassmith, or gaffer. A lampworker (often also called a glassblower or glassworker) manipulates glass with the use of a torch on a smaller scale, such as in producing precision laboratory glassware out of borosilicate glass. Many cultures accidentally discovered glass making. Shipwrecked Phoenician sailors are said to have discovered it when they built cooking fires on a sandy beach. It is also said that potters in Egypt and Mesopotamia discovered glass through trial and error in glazing their pottery. Eventually, this art spread in many parts of the world, in China, Japan and the Islamic lands and became ubiquitous.

Research a glass blowing artist. Tell me what you like about his/her work. The form and function, etc. :

I chose to research an artist named Lino Tagliapietra. As I was researching glass blowing artists, Lino's work caught my eye in particular. This is due to his extremely intricate work. He incorporates unique lines, swirls, textures and colors into his pieces, which I found very interesting. To give you an idea about how precise his work truly is, I added a couple photos beneath this reflection. Lino Tagliapietra has worked with glass for over 70 years. World-renowned and revered for his incredible manipulation of glass and innovative creations, the Maestro splits his time between Murano, Italy and Seattle, WA. He was born in 1934 in Murano, Italy and became an apprentice glassblower at age 11. By the time he was 21 years old he was appointed as a "Maestro", a term for only the best and most experienced glass workers. Clearly from a young age this is something he was very passionate about. As I was reading up about Lino, I felt some sort of a connection considering I have also been entranced by art from a young age. For these reasons, I chose to pick Lino as an artist that would let me dive a little deeper into an understanding and appreciation of blown glass work.

Bodyworlds :

Is this exhibit Art, Science, exploitation-combination?

During my research of the body-worlds exhibit I was shocked to see what came up. This exhibit definitely shows an insider on the health of men, women and children. In my opinion this exhibit leans more towards science than it does towards art. This is because of it's relation to anatomy and identical representations of the human body.

What disgusts you about this exhibit? What fascinates you?

It is very graphic, and honestly not everyone's cup of tea. I found myself fascinated because I wanted to look away, but at the same time wanted to continue scrolling through the work.

What educates you?

Whole-body plastinates, created from people who have donated their bodies for Plastination, the advanced scientific technique invented by pioneering anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens, with the express purpose of educating future generations about health, teach us the story of our lives like no textbook can. I was unaware of this idea before researching the body-worlds museum.

Sketch out potential Body worlds inspired piece...

Waltham Field Trip: This field trip was very special to me personally because I made a connection with one of the artists who was renting out a space in the Waltham Mills. The woman's name was Pat Mattina. I enjoyed her style and it truly inspired me for future work. I took a photo of her and her apron in case I wanted to draw/paint her because of the big impact she had on me.

Pat Matina's work is inspired by the many paradoxes found in art and life, Pat’s work embodies the off-center, in-between place that, while often difficult to navigate, also provides offerings of renewal and transformation. Presented above are some of her works that display her unique choice of tones and line work. She is very diverse with her stroke work. This can be observed in the first "cross hairs" oil, with quick and imprecise swirls, but in the next two pieces ("bridge" and her second "cross hairs") her strokes are more swift and soft. She is able to display multiple moods simply by switching up her choice of brush and pen work. She also chooses to keep a lot of her colors neutral toned, which allows for her addition of gold leaf and brush to stand out. Pat Matina's artwork is something that I would hang up in my own house, because I love the moods that are expressed through almost all of her work. Last year I had a personal interaction with Pat and was able to gain insight on her process of work.