i usually say glassblower if it's some random person but if i actually think i want to explain to them i would say lampworker.
Glassblower
Lampworker
Glass Artist
Professional Pyromaniac
Slacker
Flameworker
Other
Just curious how everyone refers to themselves when asked what they do. After describing what I do, I tend to have people say stuff like "oh so your not a real glassblower" and things like that. But if I say lampworker they don't have a clue what I'm talking about.
i usually say glassblower if it's some random person but if i actually think i want to explain to them i would say lampworker.
I forgot to include Flameworker.
I added it for you
~Misha
Yeah, that's what I do as well.....but as soon as I say glassblower everyone and there dog says "Ohhh, don't you just LOOOVE Chihuly?", because they saw some PBS special on him. And when I tell them I really don't know a whole heck of a lot about the guy they are stunned.
Thanks Misha..
Although I must say he is quite the bad a$$ gla$$blower.
Chihuly cant really blow glass cos he lost an eye in a car accident in 1976. ever try working with one eye closed?? It makes me ill to think of that guy making more than 10,000 a day and paying his help like 15 or 20 an hr. and his "help" consists of some of the most talented glass workers on the planet. he is a talented visionary and a briliant marketing guy. But that doesn't make him a glass blower any more than being a conductor makes you a musician in the orchestra. And the folks that work furnaace glass are just bein bitches when they say we dont really blow glass. They don't know shit about what we do. And if you gave them the oppritunity to get on the torch and try to make a goblet or a vase i guarantee you that most of em would barely be able to get the damn torch lit.
First off, a good conductor is as much a musician as anyone sitting in the orchestra, and must have more of a musical ear to conduct well. Ever heard an orchestra play WITHOUT a conductor? There's a reason for that.Originally Posted by rumplephorskin
Regarding Chihuly, you only WISH that his gaffers are making $15-20 an hour. You probably won't make in your LIFE what some of them make in a year. SERIOUS. How do you think Bill Morris got his start, and ONE of his pieces sells for more than you could ever sell.
All that aside, you wouldn't be making any money from glass right now, if Chihuly hadn't taken glass to where it is right now. You can dream that you'd be all that but he is undisputeably a figurehead of our craft.
Sorry for the bad love...
Wes.
I like the choice "other" I'll have to use that from now on.
When someone askes me what I do for a living I will say "other"
But mostly If just a genral type thing I will say I'm a glassblower. then alaberate on the lampworking part or what makes it difrent from offhand blowing. Once you say the word pyrex it chages every thing around for the person. Then they think you are more of a glass blower. When they find out boro takes more heat to melt then soft glass.
Maybe just saying "other" will avoid the "Ohhh, don't you just LOOVE Chihuly?" Thing.
When I hear that I tend to vet the person saying it as a mindless dumbass thats very open to sugestion. If they where like, Did you see the bla bla pcs that Chihuly did. then I know they atleast Might actully have a clue about what they are engaging me about.
briliant marketing guy. Yes very brillant to pull of what hes done. talented visionary????? When I hear him talk about what he sees or envisions. Always sounds like some artist babal mubo jumbo to me.talented visionary and a briliant marketing guy.
But I don't get the whole he is blind in one eye excuse. Whats wrong with his other eye. last time I checked most peep are born with 2 of them.
having one eye that don't work has never stopped me from blowing glass. Shit sould I of been playing on my one eye deal for all these years? I'm suprized Chihuly don't sell pencils and spare chage in the street. cause The first thing he always draws to if his one eye thing and how you are to feel sorry for him about something that happened way back in 197?
I think I should start playing up my bad eye more. Then when someone sees something about how Chihuly can't blow glass because of his eye they will think I am an even more talented glass blower then him. I should thow in some thing about how it was such a struggel to learn with only one eye. then they will not think I have any thing easy and that I earned my way up. lol lol lol
But the truth of the matter is I almost forget my left eye is shot and it has never been much of a drawback to me when blowing glass. Because unlike having one eye closed haveing a eye that don't work is something you get used to when its been with you sence birth. But if you taped your eye shut or wore a patch at first it might be hard but not after you got used to it.
Chihuly. . . I don't really even want to get into that. Just say to those people "you like that? Check out Lino Tagliapietra (or insert your favorite artist here)" Try to educate them without making them feel like shit because they threw out the only glassblowing name they knew.
I started out Off-Hand and then went into Flameworking for a few years and now I do both. At the Chicago Hot Glass, where I do off-hand work there is only one other person there that does flameworking and we always joke about how little everyone else knows about flameworking. I made a bunch of imploded flower paperweights and people thought it was a big mystery. We've fumed pieces with silver, dumped frit inside of a bubble and shrunk it back to solid, wig-wags. all basic flameworking stuff but for the off-hand folks it's all new. It's pretty damn funny sometimes.
Whether you blow glass at a torch or in a glory hole you're still blowing glass. If someone says your not a "real" glassblower because you work at a torch, put your foot up their ass. Tell them the only reason boro isn't usually worked the same way is because of the heat requirements. While it certainly can be done that way it sure ain't practical for most of us.
I AM NOT A GLASS BLOWER, ARTIST, OR A LAMPWORKER, FLAMEWORKER, ETC. I JUST HAPPEN TO HUSTLE GLASS FOR A LIVING. (survival!!!)
I refer to myself purely in the third person.
Example: "Tzonis is the bestest glass blower ever, better than CHihuly and all his glass techs combined. Tzonis makes more money than them as well cause Tzonis is the greatest check out the Imax movie!!!"
Last edited by Tzonis; 11-22-2005 at 08:49 AM.
Dave, I wanna see that movie! Is it playing at Jordan's Furniture IMAX???Originally Posted by Tzonis
Wes.
Aww come on i checked all 17 of your posts and the closest you came to refering to yourself in the third person was in response to rain and signed it TZ even the post im responding to has its flaws it should have been stated as: Tzonis refers to himself purely in the third person. Does Tzonis see the error now or technicallity as it were
[QUOTE=smutboy420]I like the choice "other" I'll have to use that from now on.
When someone askes me what I do for a living I will say "other"
QUOTE]
You forgot Pipemaker..
I tell people fulltime asshole. o wait u ment what i tell em i do for a liveing. Uhh can you really call sumthing work you enjoy?
I didn't forget, I just spelled it "Other". I thought about it though and chose not to include it. It was a little too specific (then I woud have to include jewelry maker, dildo maker, etc)Originally Posted by IrieGuy05
professional Moby maker is a nicer way of saying cockmaster
I kinda don't like attention an anytime you meantion glasswhatever folks ask you all sorts of ?'s. Ithink it would help sometimes printing answers to save the breathe. I tell most folks who don't know me I own a small wholesale biz an don't like to talk biz out of work, most understand an we move on with the conversation.
I've gotta say the 'artist' title (to me) is sooo played out by so many folks. I feel sometimes people (not just lampers) think that term elevates(perhaps they don't think this but feel it?) themselves somehow, give me a break. I mean when it comes down to it, most people in the world could call themselves some sort of artist...an people are people.
2010bc
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