BobGent.com
Title
Bob Gent Glassworks
Description
I have long had the goal of becoming a designer craftsman, as it allows me to explore ideas independently, with few constraints on my aesthetics.
After earning my BFA in Graphic Design and spending many years working for other artists, I designed and built my own studio. This studio is a small shop with the capacity to melt one hundred pounds of crystal at a time and working capability for a twelve by twenty-four inch piece, though most work is on a smaller scale. There is only room for myself and one assistant, usually a student, who helps by being the extra hand during the blowing process, setting up decorations, and general shop upkeep.
My style employs tightly controlled, bright colors, simple shapes and a playful design sense. Much of my work is enhanched by the decorations which start out as long rods of color (or canes) that I make from imported glass. These rods can either be used as lines, or can be further manipulated into dots or swirls of vibrant color. I begin each piece by choosing a background color and reactive decorations. This reaction between background and embellishment sets up a conversation that can be evocative of anything from a love sonnet to a heated political argument.
