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Seekers presents handblown glass by Roger
Roland, who combines ancient techniques with contemporary influences to create
original designs in iridescent gold and silver.
Roger is perhaps best known for his romantic
series of Gold Lustre Perfume Vials, characterized by spired stoppers and
interior reflections that result from exterior faceting and polishing. He
designs and executes each piece himself, using classic glassblowing methods that
are centuries old. No molds or machines are used in the creative process.
His newest creation is a series of Gold
Lustre Hurricane Lamps and Gold
Lustre Wine Goblets, which are both beautiful and fully functional.
An expert chemist, he batches his own glass
using formulations of gold, silver and other precious metallic oxides. He
creates each piece at the end of a blowpipe, working the glass at temperatures
in excess of 2000 degrees F.
Each piece is individually created by Roger,
then signed, dated and registered.
A native Californian, Roger earned his
Associate of Arts degree in Art from Maui Community College, and his Bachelor’s
degree in Glass from the University of Hawaii.
He served as a teaching assistant in the Glass
Department at UCLA. In 1972, he was one of the cofounders of the Roger Correia
Glass Studio (later renamed Correia Art Glass) with Steven Correia. In 1975, he
withdrew from the partnership in preference of establishing his own, independent
studio in Idaho.
The rural environment in which he works is a
source of inspiration for his work. "The mountain hues and delicate
lighting become effects which I try to emulate as the molten ingredients cohese
to become pleasing, unique and useful objets d’art," he explains.
"The mystery of glass creation is based on earthly substances: silica
sands, metallic oxides and fluxes. Encouraging these ingredients to cooperate
offers the real challenge of the techniques of actual glass-blown
creations."
Roger’s works have been exhibited at major
galleries, universities and museums throughout the United States, including the
Renwick Gallery of The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
His work is in the permanent collection of The
Corning Museum of Glass, NY, and in many private collections, including those of
Mick Jagger, Brooke Shields, Lou Adler, Kenny Rogers, Jan-Michael Vincent and
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
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