In the history of glassblowing !!!!!!!!

**Mac Maestro** · 05-21-2012, 04:20 PM

Lot glass was very influential back in the day. Check out what the other gorillas were selling...

Also there was an article in HT called "Glass of 99". Some of the above mentioned players (+ Sizelove) were featured. I had that hanging in my third shop on my 'Wall of Inspiration'. Some of the best I had seen at that point.

Man, its been a fun ride. Props to the entire movement.

**Abe Fleishman** · 05-22-2012, 12:13 PM

The top people that I think are.
Ezra one of the inventors or the line work we see today.
Perdro for his amazing discs and shapes.
Marcel for all his crazy aquatic and dhrico work, one of the best imo.
AK was one that always made the coolist stuff that was way before his time and he used his good old major minor torch for everything.
Bob b for his clowns and inside out work.
Clinton with his pheonix pieces.
Hamm for his crazy water filtrtion pieces.
For me the one person that helped I know our group of homies was Brain from inseration farm in bellingham. He has taught most every style of work in soft and boro, he was a key to opening the doors with what can be done.
Boxfan is also right about the best dotbox ever.
Abe

nickglassdood · 05-23-2012, 10:56 AM

thanx for all the input guys and keep it coming..........

**Aaron Ellis** · 05-23-2012, 12:01 PM

Hey Abe do you or anyone for that matter have any pics of Ezra or Pedro's work? I've never heard of these guys and would love to see some of there work.
Are they still in the seen?

nickglassdood · 05-23-2012, 12:48 PM

those guys work was on headys.com back in the day..........there may be some pics on gp.org......

nickglassdood · 05-23-2012, 12:49 PM

hopefully someone saved the pics somewhere or a national treasure has been lost....... btw where the hell is the love for the gandpa pieces or the brian bates and kevin nail........

**Bo Diddles** · 05-23-2012, 01:52 PM

Yeah this thread would be way better with pics...

**Julian** · 05-23-2012, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by Abe Fleishman

For me the one person that helped I know our group of homies was Brain from inseration farm in bellingham. He has taught most every style of work in soft and boro, he was a key to opening the doors with what can be done.

Yeah, Brian Kerkvliet! From Inspiration Farm. I haven't heard his name in years.

nickglassdood · 05-24-2012, 07:14 PM

lol glass of 99 remeber that gf purple was featured....too

**EFS** · 05-25-2012, 08:24 PM

I think steve gelb needs a mention in this thread. He has been a more low-key piper out there but one of the best imo. There are quite a few guys like him that havent been noticed as much due to the fact that they were or are not on the world wide web as much as others.

**p.j.** · 05-26-2012, 06:28 AM

Originally Posted by EFS

I think steve gelb needs a mention in this thread. He has been a more low-key piper out there but one of the best imo. There are quite a few guys like him that havent been noticed as much due to the fact that they were or are not on the world wide web as much as others.

gelb was one of my early inspirations...his work was huge back in the day.

**TlkQ** · 05-26-2012, 06:48 AM

I feel like the internet and this forum really help push the glass game up. The cats who have been blowing glass for 5 years with the help of the internet are now at the level of the guys who have been doing it for 10 years. No trial and error, step by step instructions on pretty much every technique out there. Super valuable resource.

**Forche** · 05-26-2012, 07:19 AM

^ very true. I wish I would of found this forum or any online help years ago...

**Bo Diddles** · 05-26-2012, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by TlkQ

I feel like the internet and this forum really help push the glass game up. The cats who have been blowing glass for 5 years with the help of the internet are now at the level of the guys who have been doing it for 10 years. No trial and error, step by step instructions on pretty much every technique out there. Super valuable resource.

I'm going to have to disagree.
This information is definitely a huge help to those who otherwise would not be in contact with someone to teach them, but becoming a competent flameworker is more than collecting tricks and learning specific techniques. Learning via the internet could never substitute for learning in person from someone who knows what they're doing. Better than nothing, sure. But it's all about putting in the time and gaining an understanding of how glass works, which takes years.

**TlkQ** · 05-26-2012, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by Bo Diddles

I'm going to have to disagree.
This information is definitely a huge help to those who otherwise would not be in contact with someone to teach them, but becoming a competent flameworker is more than collecting tricks and learning specific techniques. Learning via the internet could never substitute for learning in person from someone who knows what they're doing. Better than nothing, sure. But it's all about putting in the time and gaining an understanding of how glass works, which takes years.

Absolutely. I never said learning solely off of the internet pushed the 5 year artists I'm referring to to the level they are at. I am sure all of them have taken classes with talented artists since they have started. My point is the internet and this forum in particular allows flameworkers to get further in their glassblowing career in their initial couple of years than someone would have been able to get learning on their own with no instruction.

Those initial couple of years are incredibly important. All that time the 10-15+ year glassblowers spent developing techniques like simple linework patterns and ISO spoons and such is saved by the newer generations of glassblowers by being able to use the internet to learn how to do it. This allows them to advance their skills at a higher rate.

Also, I'd say the internet is largely responsible for the changing of the "It's my technique and I ain't telling you shit" mentality. Once all of this info got out there I feel like a lot of glassblowers were like fuck it, it's out of the bag now.. Might as well start teaching classes for $$$.

At no point did I imply that the internet is totally replacing in-person instruction. I am saying that thanks to the internet and general availability of instruction, the newer generations of glassblowers are able to progress at a faster rate than the 10-15+ year glassblowers were.

**Aaron Ellis** · 05-26-2012, 02:57 PM

I agree TlkQ I found this place (melting pot) a year ago, and its been invaluable to me. Before last year I had only met a couple other lampworkers in the last ten years. With out internet I would never have found the DFO or this great resource.
I also agree with bo in the fact that with out the struggle of trial and errer I wouldn't have as much understanding of how the glass works. I am shocked tho at how talented some of these new lampers are. But with the resources out there now its no wonder.

**Monkythrowpoop** · 05-28-2012, 08:07 PM

Anyone remember that Alien car JC from Ithaca made back in the day? That thing was pimp! There's a lot of JC stuff that should get some props here, but that was just the one that popped into my head.

**Bo Diddles** · 05-29-2012, 03:58 AM

TlkQ you missed my point, and then you changed yours, but I just don't feel like arguing right now. I stand by my statement.

**TlkQ** · 05-29-2012, 06:02 AM

I do see your point and did not change mine. You are saying that you have to put time in behind the torch to become a competent glassblower, correct? That you can't just read the forums and instantly know how to blow glass.

"...it's all about putting in the time and gaining an understanding of how glass works, which takes years."

You also said that internet instruction does not replace in-person instruction.

"Learning via the internet could never substitute for learning in person from someone who knows what they're doing. "

These are your points right? Just want to make sure I'm not missing anything.

I agree with you on both of those statements. Obviously you have to get the feel of the glass which no website or youtube video can give you.

What if you were starting to blow glass in the middle of no where. Never watched anyone blow glass, and the internet didn't exist as a resource. How many weeks, months, years would it take before you accidentally sprayed some silver on glass and discovered it would color it?

My point is the internet and this forum in particular allows new glassblowers to skip the trial and error portion of their career, thus advancing them at a faster rate than the glassblowers before them. Obviously they still need to get the feel of the glass, nothing is going to change that.

I also never changed my point, simply expanded on it and added a theory about the changing of the glassblowers mindset.