Flameworking is an exciting play with the material, texture, heat, time, patience and body. It is fast paced. The material quickly heats up to about 800-1200°C where it melts and deforms enabling the maker to shape and transform it easily. The maker sits closely to the flame, their hand is just a few centimeters away from where the magic happens. As glass does not conduct heat, it is possible to hold onto it closely while it is heated. I work with borosilicate glass, which is a very generous material for the impatient worker. It is a type of “hard-glass”, meaning that it has high tolerance regarding quick changes in temperature. The material pulls out, drips and bends while being twisted and turned in the flame, then hardens and becomes stiff as it is taken out. It is a playful and dynamic way of working, where you get immediate feedback for your actions from the material as it forms and develops right in front of you.
These object are representations of that experience, reflections of my experience as a flameworker, based on inspirations from nature.