Artist Statement Meet Michael Allison
Out of all of the art forms I’ve played with, I’ve found glass art to be the most unforgiving. Obviously, I noted above the risks to your own safety with the ovens if you’re not careful. However, there are also risks to damaging the piece you’ve been sweating over for hours—one wrong move and your artwork is in pieces!
Nevertheless, the risks inherent in glassblowing only make the process more alluring to me. The fact that you only have a brief window of time to create and finish the piece makes the art more satisfying.
Any artist working in glass can achieve instant gratification from their work. But the work isn’t done for me after the glass cools. The lion’s share of my work is mixed media made around glass.
I’ve seen the work of many glassblowers who meet the criteria as being “technically perfect.” While reaching such a level in one’s skills is admirable, I find such work to be lifeless and boring. These pieces don’t really tell a story. Personally, I strive to reach perfection—yet it isn’t the end goal. The objective is actually to create a composition that uses perfection as a platform to achieve a magical composition. These compositions are strange, unearthly… and yet still familiar. They incorporate odd geometries and strange characteristics that make each piece unique.
I want someone to be able to look at something I’ve made, question what it is they’re seeing, and break away from what they expect in their environments.
I’ve taught classes in the art of glassblowing for more than 20 years. While glass itself is an ancient medium, the artistic movement of glassblowers in America has only been going on for a few generations. Since it’s a newer art form in the U.S., each glassblower can make a greater impact in this area than other creative fields, like painting. Teaching is a passion for me. I love people. I love the collaboration, and the chance to share different creative visions. Outside of offering my own lessons, I’ve taught glassblowing for four universities in the Atlanta area, as well as for at-risk youth art programs.
I’ve previously worked in Arizona, L.A., Seattle, and Atlanta, and I have collaborated with some of the biggest names in each of these cities. Today, my glassblowing studio is located in Nashville.
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If you are looking for quality, artful glass pieces and instruction, then Nashville Glassblowing is the place to go. With a talented staff and range of activities, they provide the best glass blowing classes and custom products in Nashville.