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WHORL TO COME:
The Whorl to Come family is my first family of implosion
marbles, consisting of a single spiral implosion. Today these typically
consist of a core spiral backed by a straight-lined multi-lobed vortex.
The "whorl" is to me that expansive conical form, that ice
cream cone shape that forms in imlplosive environments.
The term Whorl to Come indicates that these marbles have
been my primary experiment with glass solids, which means that the lessons
learned therefrom have become the basis for all future marble inquiries.
Thus the Whorl To Come is so called because it rings with the promise of
future delights.
It is also a play upon the concept of the World to Come
that is featured prominently in the classic of Jewish Mysticism, the
Sepher Ha-Zohar, or Book
of Splendor. |
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VORTEXIA PERPLEXIA:
This family of marbles is closely related to the Whorl to Come marbles;
they consist of the same elements except that the core dweller is a vortex
rather than a spiral (with a "vortex" meaning a whirlpool shape through
which one can peer to hidden depths).
This family represents an unusual approach to the vortex
marble. Often artists create them so that the whirlpool is only seen from
one angle, while the Vortexia Perplexia is designed to allow the gazer to access
all angles, above and below.
The name refers to this different approach, which hopefully
"perplexes ya" about the marbles' origin, and your own for that matter. |
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INTEL-DIPLO:
The Intel-Diplo marbles consist of two implosions arranged
together with an intention to create a swirling cloud-form. They give the
immediate impression of chaos, yet they possess an underlying balance and
come to certain focal points.
These marbles are also color-faders, which is to say
that I usually arrange the colors so that they display one color toward
the surface of the marble, which then fades to another color as the gazer
looks toward the core. As an example, in the image to the right misty
white stays near the surface and the core consists of deep red tendrils.
The name "Intel-Diplo" basically refers to a duplicity
of intelligent layers, yet it is also inspired directly by reggae musician
Peter Tosh, said to be God's "intelligent diplomat". |
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EYEBALL: The
eyeball is a natural form for a marble and has seen (ha ha) many
incarnations as such. I might not normally reach for such a form, yet in
my marble ponderings I saw that I had a way to take them to a new level.
I see these marbles as being a combination of realism
and surrealism; I try to make the iris as lifelike as possible while in
the white section I take the liberty to swoosh freely. These swooshes
consist of lines in a clear base, which brings a certain light to the
marble, a certain vivaciousness.
I also hide crackling red lines deep within these
undulating forms so as to represent micro veins, not so much blatantly,
but more suggestively, which adds to a somewhat creepy flesh-like aspect. |
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COMPENDI CONFUNDIS and the THRESHOLD:
Compendi Confundis refers to the approach of combining many marbles into
one; they swirl and intertwine, they complexify and multiply, they hum
together in a confounding kaleidoscopic chorus.
The Threshold series is presently my preferred way of
delivering this approach, and is called such because of the tenuous
nature of the dividing layer that joins a major and a minor portion. I've
seen that this major/minor proportion recurs throughout my glasswork, and
generally seems to represent a dynamic, balanced motion, kind of like the
slight forward balance that one must strike when walking.
These two related series represent the frontier of my
marble journey. The making of each one is an inquiry in the dark, and the
result often surprises, reinventing the way I think about marbles.
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