Dan Bergsma

A native of the Seattle area, Bergsma comes from a family of artists and has worked in glass since 1984.

His work ranges from richly colored natural flowing designs and classic shaped vessels with dichroic inclusions to sculptural pieces on which he has used sand carving and electroforming techniques. He is drawn to the interplay of color, form and optical qualities inherent in glass. It is the only medium he has found to offer such a wide range of visual qualities. From bold striking images to the sublime and fluid optical characteristics of solid pieces, glass stands alone in its diversity and beauty.

His Mirror Optic series of furled vessels exhibit the fluid nature of the medium, with folds and patterns arranged in a random fashion. Linear patterns range from geometric combed designs to flowing patches of white and color that resemble cloud formations or ripples in a pond. He creates of some furled pieces with a mirror-like interior. This dramatic effect is achieved through a technique called reduction, whereby glass with a heavy silver nitrate content is heated at extreme temperature until the silver is reduced and rises to the surface.

His series of Marble Vessels are hand shaped with a furled edge. Each has an interesting marbleized pattern, achieved by dipping a transparent color over creamy opaque white glass, then encasing the entire piece in clear crystal.

His Optic Twist series of vases shimmer with color and clear crystal. Some pieces in this series are monochromatic and feature, for example, several different hues of blue. Others are executed with several colors ranging from warm to cool tones.

Bergsma has studied glassblowing with some of the world’s leading glass artists, including Lino Tagliapietra, at the renowned Pilchuck Glass School and at the Pratt Fine Arts Center, both near Seattle. His work has been shown at galleries and juried exhibitions throughout the United States and in Tokyo, Japan, at the Contemporary Art Glass Exhibition.