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 “I have been working with glass now for sixteen years and I am still learning from it everyday. I am always trying to find new ways to translate technique, form and color into contemporary designs in glass. I strive to continually be working with the idea that each piece can, and should be, refined and improved. Whether I'm creating a small wine glass or a large sculpture, it can always be better. This approach is what keeps me moving forward, lets me evolve as an artist and designer and keeps my mind open.”
Michael began blowing glass in 1988 while at the Tyler School of Arts in Elkins, Pennsylvania. He began with a concentration in illustration, painting, and graphic design, but after enrolling in a 3-D elective, glassblowing became the focus of his artistic life. While traveling for a semester to the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island, Michael was introduced to Venetian style glassblowing and completed several workshops with Lino Tagliapietra, a glass master from Murano, Venice. Shortly after graduating, Michael opened Nine Iron Studios where he continues to blow glass today. Michael also accepted a visiting professorship at the prestigious Toyama Institute of Glass in Toyama, Japan for two and a half years.
At the gallery, we carry several of Michael’s pieces including his Incalmo Bottles, Waterdrop Vases, Flat Transparent Pitchers, and Tall Cane Vases. His pieces are more sculptural than functional, with each serving as a work of art. Customers are most struck by Michael’s choice of form and color. Michael thoughtfully juxtaposes bright contemporary jewel-tone colors with a classical sense of line and design. Whether it is his bottles, vases, or pitchers, each piece is guaranteed to brighten and compliment any space.
Questions about Michael Schunke? Email or call us at (413) 586-1119. |
