Alex Brand

For over twenty years I’ve been manipulating glass into various specific visions. Looking back I see that my favorite pieces are the ones where the glass surprised me, where forces of nature such as heat, gravity, centrifugal force, and chemical reaction have taken over: glass itself having more say in what it wants to be. In these pieces a reflection of the big mystery, the unknowable comes through and I am humbled by the result, a mere witness to the process. For this to happen though, as in any media, technique must be mastered to the point that it is second nature, and can be bypassed in the creation. Often the nicest pieces are the first in a series, when the energy is fresh and I haven’t figured our quite what I am doing yet. So now I’m trying to set the stage with specific controlled techniques but then letting go into looser natural forms. Instead of pushing to communicate a specific vision of mine I’m trying to be more of a vehicle for what want to come through me. And having more fun than ever.