Over the past 20 years, the standard of glassblowing has continuously been lifted by both veterans and newcomers to the market. Even though many people spring for the cheaper option when it comes to a pipe, there’s much more to glass art than how it functions. The decorative design and shaping are equally large reasons why people decide to purchase a piece from a glassblower.
Here are five artists to check out if you find yourself in the market for a new way to enjoy cannabis.
Jeremiah and his sister Jenna were shown the ropes of glassblowing by their father Gary Vick four years ago. Ever since, the California born and raised siblings have improved and evolved into high-end glassblowers through their collabs, individual pieces and quartz work. This collaboration with Erik Anders for rapper Action Bronson showcases Jeremiah’s unique and decorative faded color work.
Big Z is a lampworker based out of Fort Collins, Colorado. Over the past 12 years, Z has created countless gems in the form of borosilicate glass pendants, rigs and dry pipes. The series of designs that he’s known for like the Paperboys or Backpack Kids rigs have grown in popularity and value as this seasoned glassblower’s talents continue to be recognized. Looking forward, Big Z’s new elite series, known as the Dufflebag Boys, are for the high-end collector who wants something that both rips and has looks to kill.
Similar to many glassblowers, Cello found himself admiring and using glass art and grew a desire to create some of his own. In the summer of 2014, he set up a shop in his parents garage in New Jersey, and equipped with a $100 torch and a dream, he aimed to become a better artist. Through small wholesale orders and demos for a local shop, it was only a matter of time until his abilities outgrew his environment. After moving into a studio of his own, Cello was finally able to acquire and utilize the correct tools to create the wormhole rigs that he’s known for now. The drive and passion possessed by this East Coast lampworker can only lead to even more impressive work in the future.
Casey Arnett’s journey began as a glass collector while working for the forest service as a subcontractor back in November 2012. Through collecting clear Mothership Glass and almost purchasing an elite piece of art from the glass giant, Arnett was offered a job by Scott Deppe, one of the masterminds behind the Mothership brand. Considering he had never worked with the material before, Casey was given jobs like polishing and faceting glass in the cold working room, which is where he developed new and efficient processes.
Intent on progressing to flame work, Arnett would stay at the shop even when he wasn’t working so that he could learn from the artists around him and eventually engineer his own design. Moving forward, all of his torch time was sacrificed to fine-tune his design, and nine months of 18-hour days eventually evolved into the inner to outer chamber recycler from Nautilus glass. After being limited on what he could create at the shop and the unfortunate loss of his father, Casey gave two weeks notice, moved back home to take care of his mom and continues his dream alone.
Andrew (otherwise known as Bruce Wayne Glass) fell in love with glass sculpting as a young child visiting Disneyland, and after switching his major to fine glass arts in college, he got a job creating high-end chandeliers. After learning and honing his new skill in the area of non-functional glass, his focus switched to sharp klein recyclers and decorative mini tubes. Check out some of his solo work and collaborations with artists like Steve Sizelove and Ryan Coon on his Instagram page.
(Cover Image Courtesy of BigZ Glass)
Good job guys. Keep up the great work.