Irresistible Iridescence

As a novice glassblower, Josh set out to re-create the iridescence of two beautiful vases he loved in his grandmother's house, one made by Tiffany and the other a Steuben. Tiffany had implied that the shimmer of his glass came from a gold coin thrown into the melt. Josh believed him! Why not? But gold was too expensive. So, recalling experiments done in the darkroom that he and his dad had built in the 1960s, he thought, "why not try using silver, the other precious metal?" (Josh also thinks that 'possum is the "other" white meat.) Was this stupid or brilliant? The outcome says it all: after much trial and error, he finally figured out how silver could in fact be used to make the surface of glass gleam like mother-of-pearl. (Turns out Tiffany was the source of his own, let's say, alternative facts.)

Iridescent New Mexico Vessels

Lately Josh has been revisiting some of his early ideas, but now using new equipment, techniques, and knowledge. One result is this series of 14 sculptural vessels and bowls, made in a way Josh has never done before. Each piece contains a unique wash of multi-hued pearly iridescence shimmering within a vessel made of blue New Mexico or smooth black glass.

(Josh has turned off his furnaces for the summer; no more of these will be made until perhaps October or November, if at all.)

You can still show your dad some lovin' on Father's Day!

If your father is not an iridescent bowl type of guy, he might like a little (or big) Heart Planet that quietly says "Of course I still love you!" Click on any photo to see more.

June's Infinity Project Recipient

is Ian Winterbauer, who will hide his Planet somewhere in the Vachel Lindsay Home Historic Park, in Springfield, Illinois. At 28 years old, Ian has spent the last 19 years of his life (!) preserving this building and leading public tours there, where a mirror above the fireplace has been gazed into by Abraham Lincoln, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Stephen King, Steven Spielberg, Adele, and two astronauts who walked on the moon.

Josh in Berkshire Museum Podcast

For their "What's in the Basement?" Podcast, the Berkshire Museum's Craig Langlois interviewed Josh about how meteors have influenced his work. Listen to hear how Simpson Tektites originated, and how Josh works with this gnarly, uncooperative glass.

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Salmon Falls Gallery 1 Ashfield Street
Shelburne Falls, MA | 01370 US

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