GLASS: The UrbanGlass Art Quarterly, #118, Spring 2010
After reading the “Reflection” essay in the Spring issue about glass tourism (See “Glass as Tourist Attraction,” by Lauren Fujji, on p. 52 in the Spring 2010 edition), I’ve been giving this issue a lot of thought and I’m very conflicted. I’ve regularly blown glass in front of crowds, and I myself have greatly benefited from having hot shop access under such conditions to make work. However, I can’t help but think (and I hope that I am not alone in this) that when you are “on stage” making your “art,” it changes things.
One ceases to be a methodical, contemplative artist who labors over every decision, and instead becomes a showman/woman. I fear this trend of turning “glass art-making” into a spectator sport trivializes the seriousness with which some of us take making our art, turning it into that oft-heard phrase: a “dog-and-pony show.” Any shred of conceptual rigor disappears with the arrival of the first tour bus.
The reality of being an artist, any kind of artist, is very often not flashy and rock star-ish, but instead a slow, deliberate, and introspective process. I’m certainly not calling for a ban on hot shops in museums, nor do I want the mobile studios to be mothballed as I do believe they play an important educational role. Indeed, people love to watch glassblowing. Instead, I just want to sound a cautionary note because I feel that both artists and the audience are affected.
The proliferation of this phenomenon ensures that, with increasing frequency, the public only gets to see a slice (albeit a dramatic slice) of how artists work literally. This shouldn’t be confused with how artists work figuratively. This skewed impression leaves them with the belief that there is no anguish, no insurmountable internal struggles, no despairing conflicts with the forces of the universe that we are trying to rise above. Ultimately, this sells us short as artists.
Sincerely,
Katherine Gray
An artist who currently lives and works in Los Angeles, Katherine Gray is Assistant Professor in Art at California State University San Bernardino.