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I hope that everyone will join me in welcoming a relatively new member of the Glass Addiction forum, Wes Fleming. Wes's work is a great example in the diversity of glass art and the beauty that can created around ordinary, even slighty "creepy creatures". Please read the interview, enjoy Wes's work and photographs and feel free to ask any follow up questions that you might have for him. Thanks again Wes for participating in the Glass Addiction interviews!


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1. Wes, could you please tell us a little about yourself?

I currently live in Montana with my wife, Rebecca, although we just recently moved from the highlands of Massachusetts. I was born in western Pennsylvania in 1976 and art was never much a part of my life growing up. I have always had a profound interest in being creative and making things, but I was made to understand that I needed to "work hard" and "be practical." Although I took some art classes here and there, being creative never felt like something I should be able to do for a living. At present, I am only working glass part time but I really have to give thanks to Rebecca who has pushed me to figure out what it is that I am really happy doing and encouraged me every step along the way.

I began working with glass at the furnace in 2001 and apprenticed or worked for a number of hot shop artists, but it wasn't until late 2003 that I began flameworking. I really wanted to be able to make my own work and to have my own studio. A furnace studio is a huge liability and we have tended to move quite a bit, so I wanted to be easily portable and flameworking seemed like the obvious decision. This certainly turned out to be the right choice as we have continued to move around for Rebecca's career and my meticulous attention to detail has come in quite handy at the torch!

2. What lead you first start working with glass?

While living in San Francisco, I bought a glass bead from a street vendor on Telegraph Ave in Berkeley. It was an amazing soft glass bead made with the dot-stacking technique. Shortly after moving to Boston, I found out about glassblowing classes through a local adult education center and became obsessed with wanting to do glassblowing. Unfortunately, we just couldn't afford for me to do this so needless to say, I was absolutely floored when I found out my wife had secretly convinced our families to sign me up as a Christmas gift. I took this six week class and then quit my day job to apprentice with Fellerman & Raabe Glassworks for the summer. As they say, the rest is history!

3. Do you work in any other medium beside glass?

I love photography, especially with the miracle of digital cameras - one needn't worry about "wasting" film. I've been taking pictures since I was about 10 years old, when my parents gave me a 110-format camera as a birthday gift. I think that photography has really helped me to develop an attention to details. That said, I'm not the greatest photographer so I make up for this with quantity. To give you an idea, I've taken about 5,000 pictures in the last 4 months! The real secret is to having my camera with me at all times, so that I can capture a special moment when I see it.

4. How did you develop a fascination with insects?

I have always had a fascination with the strange creatures of science fiction and various mythologies. I grew up with Star Wars and loved the oddest-looking of my action figures. My favorite was Momaw Nadon aka Hammerhead, a sort of sluggy humanoid creature. I also spent a lot of time in the woods as a child and was always turning over rocks and logs looking for creepy crawlies.

Early in my lampworking career, I was doing a beadmaking demonstration during an arts fair in Boston and during a break I found a vendor selling shadowboxed exotic insects. I was totally thrilled by these specimens and decided that was what I wanted to focus on for my glass work. As I made more and more insects, I became more and more interested in studying actual insects and getting all of the details right. Since then, entomology (the study of insects) has become both a hobby and an obsession!

5. Not everyone is fond of bugs. Do you ever get positive response on your work, with added comments to the "creepiness" of the subject?

I've got a funny story for this one. A few months ago, I was showing one of my glass beetles to a person who I shouldn't have trusted to handle it. He turned around and set it on his friend's leg to get a rise out of him - and that he did! I was clearly nonplussed as the beetle flew through the air and burst into a thousand pieces on the floor. Once I got over being upset, I took this as a compliment on the realism of my work!

6. Can you give us a feel for what it was like to study in Italy with Maestros Lucio Bubacco and Vittorio Costantini?

Studying on Murano had been a dream of mine for several years. Needless to say, it was an incredible experience for me to be on the island for 9 days, especially studying with two Maestros whose work I really admire. Although I learned a huge amount of technique during this time, the most incredible part of the visit was being able to meet and see so many incredible artists while there.

I was very fortunate to meet John Volpacchio, who actually lived within 20 miles of where I was living at the time of this trip, in the grocery store on Murano. He was on the island to work with Silvano Signoretto for some time, but had previously been there to work for Davide Salvidore and Pino Signoretto, among others. John took me around the island to meet all of these Maestros of the furnace.

Also, I made a visit to Vittorio's studio on the main island of Venice. It was absolutely mind blowing to see his collection of work. Not only were all of his cases filled with various species of insects, birds, and sea creatures, but he brought out box after box of old work from his back room for me to look at. It was also very informative to watch him work at his personal workbench, to inspect all of his handmade tools, and just breathe in the ambiance of the environment.

All in all, this trip was a major leap of growth and inspiration for my glass career. I highly recommend a visit to Murano for anyone who is interested in glass, either as an artist/craftperson or as a collector. Just be certain to make some connections with locals on the island BEFORE you go, otherwise you really won't get to see much of the wonderful legacy of the island.

If readers are interested to see photos which I took on this visit to Murano, they may view them here:

http://www.wesleyfleming.com/murano_2005.htm

7. Was there ever a problem understanding concepts due to language barriers?

Before traveling to Murano, I studied Italian for 3 months including classes at a local adult education center. I was extremely glad I did this because although Lucio speaks excellent English and Vittorio's wonderful wife, Graziella, is an amazing translator, it really helped me to be able to communicate directly with Vittorio. He is a very inspiring teacher and had a lot of very helpful comments for me. It has also been a long-term goal of mine to become fluent in Italian (I am still far from this goal!), so conversing with inhabitants of the island helped quite a bit in learning the language. People are always much more receptive to visitors who at least try to communicate with them in their native tongue, so I think that this also helped to open some doors for me while I was there.

8. Are there things to be learned about glass sculpture that can only be learned in Italy?

Yes and no. Learning the history of glasswork and seeing what can be done and has already been done is almost as important as the hands-on aspects of learning the craft. In that regard, there is something to be said about being on Murano and picking up the ambiance which you can only get by physically being there. That said, all of the Muranese maestros teach classes here in the United States and elsewhere on a somewhat regular basis at places like Corning, Pilchuck, Penland, etc. So one need not go to Murano to actually learn from a maestro, in fact it is probably easier to get into a class here than to work out all of the details of studying over there.

9. You've also worked with Josh Simpson. What was that like?

I had a wonderful time working for Josh! He has a great spirit and is quite entertaining. I spent a lot of my tenure there in the cold shop which, in retrospect, was an incredible opportunity - I was taught how to coldwork by a Czech who went to both high school and college specifically for that skill. What I learned there has been invaluable and opened doors for me at other glass studios.

10. Which educational or work experiences do you believe has most shaped you as an artist?

I would have to say that my trip to Murano to study with Lucio Bubacco and Vittorio Costantini was both the most educational and inspirational experience in my recent history. That said, I make frequent trips to any museums and galleries which I am near, seeking fresh ideas and learning about what else is "out there." This has been an important part of my artistic growth and education, especially before began creating professionally. On a more fundamental level, I grew up surrounded by nature and this has definitely had the most profound effect on my interests in what I prefer to create and obviously shows up in my glass insects!

11. Your photos in the inspiration section of your website are quite interesting to look through. Do you go out specifically looking for such things, or having an artist eye do you just happen to notice them?

As I mentioned earlier, I really enjoy photography and try to take my camera with me wherever I go. I have always had an eye for detail and generally try to be "open" to what is going on around me. I'd say that these images are part luck and part because I am already on the lookout. I have been fortunate in that my current camera ($130 Canon A460) has an absolutely amazing macro function with a minimum focal range of about 5mm! I didn't even know about this feature until I had the camera for a bit. When I find something small and interesting, I am certain to get as up-close and personal with it as I can manage!

12. How much time do you spend researching insects that you sculpt? Is accuracy important to you?

Accuracy and detail are very important to me. I spend quite a bit of time researching insects (and arthropods in general.) Entomology (the study of insects) is a hobby of mine, so I really enjoy searching for information about different insects on the internet, in various books I own and borrow from the library, and at the department of Entomology at whatever local University we happen to be living near. I also make a lot of fantastical insects - drawing on both my knowledge and imagination.

If readers are interested in photos of insects, I highly recommend Harvard's online photographic database: http://insects.oeb.harvard.edu/MCZ/best_images.htm

13. I've noticed that you refer to yourself a glass sculptor versus glass artist. Can you explain the difference in the two terms?

This is a philosophical issue for me. I feel caught in a void between art and craft - I haven't yet decided what distinguishes the two, so I am not yet comfortable calling myself an artist. In the meantime, "glass sculptor" seems to be the best fit.

14. Do you sell your work mainly through show and galleries? Have you ever considered selling online?

At the moment, I sell my work solely through galleries and personal transactions, but I am planning to begin selling through eBay and/or my website soon. I just need to get up the gumption and do the work to make it happen. Keep your eyes peeled!

15. I'm sure that you've noticed much of the conversation on Glass Addiction revolves around marbles. How do you compare them to glass sculpture?

Marbles are round and sculpture can take any shape ;-) On a less literal level, by their nature, marbles are much more about color, patterning, and decorational techniques. Sculpture involves much more shaping and less patterning. Both forms have their own virtues.

16. Have you ever made or considered making any marbles?

Yes! The wonderful thing about boro marbles is that they're virtually guaranteed not to blow up (literally!) in your face 2-3 hours in. I make boro marbles to blow off steam when the soft glass starts to frustrate me. I generally make pretty quick, simple marbles for fun and enjoy giving them away to friends and acquaintances.

17. Can you give us a description of your studio? How many hours a week do spend in your studio?

My current studio is in a small office building near our apartment. The environment isn't ideal (I'd rather not be in an office building!), but the space is a good size, I really like my setup, and it's nice to have heat on a constant basis. I've invested a lot of time to perfect a workbench at which I can be comfortable and maintain good posture while working for long periods. I've also got my glass & entomology library, my personal collection of other peoples' work, a photography setup, and a packing area in my studio - previous to moving to Bozeman, such things were spread between my studio shed, our house, and our barn. It's quite a luxury to have everything in one place! My time in the studio varies week to week, but I average about 20 hours per week.

18. Without giving up any trade secrets, can you explain how it's possible to pull and shape such fine sections of glass for insect legs and antenna?

Fine details are simply a matter of heat control. It's taken me a long time to refine my torch technique to be able to pull out such fine details without melting down previous bits. I find that really good wrist rests (I use the Creation Station, minus the elbow rests) help me to be still when I need to for fine placement of glass. Also, the high velocity, pinpoint flame on my GTT Phantom helps me to avoid "splashing" heat on other parts of the sculpture while putting down details. Hydration and eating well before working at the torch also help reduce the root cause of "the shakes."

19. How difficult is it to ship items that are so fine and delicate?

I've spent quite a bit of time, not to mention heartache, developing a packaging system which works well for my sculptures. Now that I have the method and materials worked out, it isn't difficult at all! It just takes a bit of time to package each one up, but this is time well spent!

20. What future projects do you have planned?

I recently began making birds and fish. While insects are my main interest while working at the torch, I have been feeling the need to branch out a bit and explore some other life forms. I also make humanoid sculptures, but I've been taking a break from them for a bit, so I will likely return to making those again in the not too distant future, as well.

21. Your wife is a professional cellist. How much do you rely on each other for artistic support and inspiration?

We are very much business partners and rely on each other quite a bit for support and inspiration. It is wonderful to have a partner whose opinion I can totally trust and whom I know I can confide confidentially. As they say, "two heads are better than one!" It also really broadens our community to exist in both the visual and performing arts genres and seems to create opportunities by being in attendance at one another's events.

22. If you could go back in time to meet any notable person from history, who would it be?

This is the hardest question of your entire interview! Is this a behavioural question? ;-) Not having thought too much about this previously, I would have to go with Leonardo da Vinci. As the archetypal "renaissance man", he was such a well-rounded, creative person. His works have been an inspiration to people from many walks of life for centuries. He certainly gets my vote for the most interesting notable person from history! Who knows what he was like in person, though - I suspect I will never find out!