Photo: David Willis
Describe your work:
I m ake
o d d o b je cts m o stly u sin g glass.
Describe your process:
T h e
h o t slab te ch n iq u e is b ased on
ceram ic p ro ce sse s, e x c e p t
th e re ’s m ore dram a and fire.
Pilchuck connection:
I ’v e
tau gh t th e re and been artist-in -
resid en ce . I’v e g o t frie n d s w h o
w o r k and te ach th e re .
Your training:
M o stly I’v e
learn ed b y w a tch in g . I w o rk e d in
M u ran o fo r a y e a r on a F u lbrigh t
sch olarsh ip and s a w p ro p er
g la ssb lo w in g fo r th e first tim e.
W hat makes your work
unique:
M y b o d y o f w o r k is
so va ried th at I can e a sily pu t
to g e th e r a on e-p erso n g ro u p
sh o w . H u m o r is a lw a y s
lu rk in g n earb y.
Biggest artistic influences:
H . C . W e s te rm a n n , K e n P ric e ,
R o n N a g le , and P e te V o u lk o s .
W hat you like most about
glass:
O n ce y o u ’re set up and
h a ve som e sk ill y o u can run
th ro u g h ideas q u ick ly.
Biggest challenge with glass:
P a y in g th e o p e ratin g co sts.
Proudest of:
S till m akin g n e w
and in terestin g o b je cts after
45 yea rs in th e glass field .
W orking on now:
I ’m n o w
w o rk in g on sm all-scale o b jects
th at I find re w a rd in g and h ear-
ken b ack to p ie ce s I m ade in
th e late ’70s.
W hat’s next:
M e d ica re .
How you’d like to be remem-
bered:
A s the g u y w h o w as still
m aking go o d w o rk w ell into
his 90s.
tim e
David
Willis
Describe your work: I
w o r k
p rim arily w ith la m p w o rk e d
glass, and so m etim es w ith d ig i-
tal m edia. M y w o r k is g e n e ra lly
tim e -in te n siv e , b e tw e e n a fe w
w e e k s and a co u p le o f years
p e r p iece.
W hat makes your work
unique:
It’s su p p o se d to b e fu n .
I k e e p m y w o r k re le v a n t to m y
life and ideas first, and c o n tin u -
ally e x p e rim e n t w ith m y
m aterial.
Pilchuck connection:
N in e c o n -
se c u tiv e sum m ers at P ilc h u c k as
a stu d e n t, te a ch in g a ssistan t,
and la m p w o rk in g sh o p c o o rd i-
n ato r. I w ill b e te ach in g th e re
this sum m er.
Biggest artistic influences:
I do so m e fa b rica tio n w o r k
fo r th e artists Jim H o d g e s,
K ik i S m ith , and A n n e W ils o n .
M y c o n v e rsa tio n s w ith th em ,
and m y stu d y o f art h isto ry ,
h a ve in fo rm e d m y p ra ctice and
m y w o r k to a large d eg re e.
W hat you like most about
glass:
G lass is an e x tre m e ly
ve rsa tile m aterial. F ro m
“ p a in tin g ” to large-scale scu lp -
tu re, th e m ed iu m o ffe rs so
m an y aven u es.
Biggest challenge with glass:
T h e c h alle n g in g p art o f w o r k -
in g w ith glass - it’s scre am in g
h o t, y o u can ’t to u ch it, e tc. - is
fun fo r m e. I e n jo y figu rin g o u t
h o w to m ake it d o w h a t I w a n t.
W orking on now:
I am w o r k -
in g o n w h a t I call th e “ h eart
p ro je c t.” It is a m u lti-d iscip lin -
ary p ie ce co m b in in g scu lp tu re,
still and m o v in g im ag es, p e r-
fo rm a n c e , and co m m u n ity
in v o lv e m e n t.
feb/m arn american craft 049
