|
Seekers presents lampworked
glass by Scott Bisson, who creates life size glass sculptures of assorted frogs,
geckos, skinks and snakes.
Scott uses the ancient
lampwork technique of glassblowing (sometimes called flamework) a method of
making glass objects that dates back thousands of years to the time when glass
was worked over an oil burning lamp or flame.
He
creates each piece by melting and manipulating glass rods of various diameters
over a gas-oxygen flame. Working with specially formulated colored glass rods,
he shapes the glass at temperatures in excess of 2800 degrees F.
Scott
has selected amphibians and reptiles as his subject matter. All have appealing,
very realistic eyes, generally blue. He creates a variety of frogs, from common
to exotic varieties, and sized between three and four inches long. For lizard
enthusiasts there are his friendly geckos and highly stylized skinks, which are
six to seven inches long.
Using
borosilicate glass, popularly known as pyrex, Scott has opted to work in the
difficult area of color, which requires more skill and technical experience than
clear glass.
His
sculptures are solid, rather than blown, and require extensive forming and
shaping. Because he uses no molds or patterns, each piece is one of a kind.
An
expert colorist, Scott achieves intense, often iridescent colors seldom achieved
in borosilicate glass. He also uses rare dichroic glass, especially to give
iridescence to the bodies of his exotic frogs. Dichroic glass is a high tech
invention that appears to change colors when the viewer moves in relation to the
piece.
Scott
has been working with glass since he was 17 and he has studied at the world
renowned
Pilchuck
Glass
School
near
Seattle
, where he learned advanced techniques from master lampwork artist Robert
Mickelsen. He maintains his own studio in rural
Oregon
.
|
