Artists Hand-Blow Molten Glass into Fallen Trees to Create Beautiful Sculptures

Amazing Glass Blowing Art Molten Glass and Wood Sculpture

Artists Scott Slagerman and Jim Fishman create objects of beauty from molten glass and fallen trees. Working together, the two have sculpted abstract forms that combine warm woods with cheerful translucent tones. In each of the pieces, the remnants of the tree act as an unconventional vase for the glass, and it fits perfectly within the U-shaped crevice. It’s as if the two disparate materials occur naturally.

Slagerman and Fishman call the collection Wood & Glass, but don’t let the simplicity of the title fool you; the pieces require an extensive knowledge of both woodworking and glass blowing. To produce one sculpture, the design is first drawn on the wood and then the center is extracted from it. Afterwards, molten glass is blown into the empty space and hugs its curves.

Slagerman specializes in glass fabrication and is responsible for the dazzling colors of Wood & Glass. He writes that the very nature of glass is what captivated him years ago. “How it [glass] is transformed from a fragile, yet unyielding solid state to molten fluidity and back again,” he writes, “and how this mutable substance, through a process that is both delicate and dangerous, can create objects both essential and esoteric.”