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Seekers® Glass Gallery
presents handblown glass by Roger Gandelman, whose original designs in handblown
glass are distinguished by jewellike colors and imagery that depicts flowers and
organic lifeforms.
A versatile artist, Gandelman’s
innovative designs include perfume vials, paperweights, small sculptures and
other works.
His style combines traditional
and contemporary influences, contrasting bold colors with brilliant, clear
crystal.
Gandelman has evolved a style
that combines Art Nouveau influences with contemporary refinements, resulting in
works that are both beautiful and timeless.
He designs and executes each
piece himself, using glassblowing techniques that date back to antiquity. His
shapes are created by freely manipulating the molten glass, without use of
molds, at temperatures of approximately 2200 degrees F.
To achieve a variety of
transparent and opaque colors, he uses formulations of metallic oxides such as
cobalt, gold, copper and others, mixed into the molten glass before it is blown.
Some pieces are decorated with
linear designs or abstract patterns, while others feature richly textured 22K
gold leaf applied to the hot exterior surface of the glass.
Many of his perfume vials and
paperweights feature delicate sprays of flowers, which are made entirely from
glass. While a piece is on the blowpipe, colored rods of glass are torch melted
and worked into distinct floral images. He creates the flowers first, then
encases the entire piece in clear crystal, creating the appearance that the
flowers are floating in space.
Gandelman’s designs reveal a
fascination with the optical properties of glass. Many of his pieces involve
subsequent cold working — cutting and polishing of facets that add dimension
or a view into the interior. These facets also create interesting reflections
and optical illusions. When completed, each piece is individually signed and
dated.
Gandelman studied at the
University of Denver, University of Hartford, Southern Connecticut State
University and the renowned Penland School of Crafts, North Carolina. His works
have been shown at museums throughout the United States and are included in
numerous public and private collections.
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