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Seekers presents handblown glass by Tim Lazer,
whose original designs in vases, paperweights, perfume vials and other works are
distinguished by dramatic, colorful compositions often accented with precious
gold or iridescent decorations.
Lazer blows each piece freely, without the use
of molds, primarily from glass he has formulated and made himself. His designs
reflect his fascination with simple, organic shapes and the lustrous colors and
surfaces often associated with the Art Nouveau and Beaux Arts styles.
Using traditional glassblowing methods that
are thousands of years old, he creates each piece at the end of a blowpipe,
working the glass at temperatures in excess of 2000 degrees F. His shapes are
classic and elegant, with color, texture and iridescence being frequent themes
in the designs he creates.
For his Gold Mist series he applies 22K gold
leaf directly to the hot glass surface as the piece is being blown. Delicate
dark lines and sprinklings of iridescent glass fragments combine with the gold
to create a vivid contrast to the base color of the glass. Lazer’s colors for
this series include ruby, amethyst, cobalt blue, aquamarine or clear crystal.
His Azure Seas series of vases, paperweights
and perfume vials feature silvery blue glass with ripples and currents like
those found in the ocean’s depths. Lazer uses a technique called
"reduction" which results in a silvery-gold surface on the interior of
most vases in this series.
His Splash series of vessels feature painterly
applications of 20, or more, different colors in abstract patterns. Some have
compared the effect Lazer achieves with this series to impressionist paintings.
His Tuxedo series of perfume vials feature
elaborate cutting and faceting, which allows the color and design elements to be
reflected and magnified for dramatic effect.
Lazer studied glassblowing during the early 70s at Palomar
College and at California State University, Fullerton. He works alone in his
northern California studio. His pieces have been exhibited at galleries
throughout the United States.
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