defəˈniSH(ə)n/ noun : a statement that describes what something is. ← yep
The title is a question that could also read What is “Alternative news”? It is the natural result of the turning away from traditional mainstream network news for the reason that it does not function as a free press. Truth be told, it never really did.
A free press is a “natural” part of a society. People do not need to deliberately invent or design a “free press” – it will always design itself…
Here are some photos of our first home which we extensively remodeled before selling and relocating to the NW. (Click “continue reading” for a slideshow)
Relief carving by Ron Branch circa 1989 ~ I’d like to do a series of these soon. This is a small piece of flagstone, approximately 8″ x 12″. It has hand crafted mounting hardware by Bill Branch (my Dad).
Between glass and stone I feel stone is the more forgiving medium to work with. As a material, float glass is predictable, as in there are no hidden surprises. As a transparent canvas it is unique, with its distinctly beautiful qualities, but there is no variance from piece to piece… and so it quickly becomes all about the etching.
With stone however, you are entering the unknown. Oddly though, this is not a source of anxiety. Instead, a great deal of the pressure is off. In those rare occasions that something bad is coming, like a severe crack, or a pocket of nothingness, you don’t see it until it arrives. Blaming yourself for the issue is useless since you really had no way of foreseeing it. Blaming the stone, well… that would just be absurd.
So for me there is a self granted state of acceptance. Besides, most of the “surprises” are often what I like best about the finished piece. There really IS therefore, a strong feeling of interaction, a kind of partnership with the material. By virtue of it’s unpredictable variances, it participates – lending its uniqueness to the art.
Regarding the importance of considering how etched glass and light go together, my goal is to arrange what I’m learning into an easy to digest overview of the subject so that a quick look at the page results in raised awareness. To see how the lighting page is coming along click HERE or watch this short video below.
Although most of my work in glass has kept me in or very near the sandblast booth, I do enjoy every opportunity to “work in the field”. The locations where glass art goes also tend to be highly interesting in many other ways, and so it can be somewhat educational regarding interior design. It’s also good to just get out of the studio once in a while, but the main reason I like it is purely practical.
Not until it is finally installed is glass art in it’s fully finished form. That it is translucent means that characteristics of whatever environment it is in affects the glass in a big way. Glass Artists who only see the piece in the studio, can’t be sure how it ends up looking onsite for the customer. What if it looked great at the studio, and ends up not as great onsite? Having the opportunity to figure out why is invaluable for becoming a more knowledgeable artist. So, if the option to go is there, I go.
Opportunities to work with other glass artists seem most often to come in the form of installation. Many of the photos in this first slideshow are pictures fellow glass artists sent to me after I had helped them out.
