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Gestural Series, Orange)
Gestural Series, Purple)
Key West BowlBy the time he earned his MFA(Illinois State University, 1994), working with Joel Myers, Joe Nielander had already worked with many other top contemporary glass artists: Stephen Dee Edwards, Michael Taylor, Richard Ritter, Ginny Ruffner, Paul Stankard. Most of these courses were at the Penland School of Crafts, where Joe became artist in residence after graduate school. After his residency, Joe set up his own studio in nearby Spruce Pine. For several years, he concentrated on casting, slumping, and the use of mixed media.
His interest in movement led to an ongoing series that bespeaks a fascination with wind, water, the ocean, and their effects on the objects that move through them. Many pieces reflect Joe"s early years in South Florida and his continuing interest in aquatic life. Others are powerful interpretations of the relation between natural forces and fragile, rigid man-made materials, such as stainless steel and glass. His current work features images from extreme sports, which serve as a metaphor for the glassblowing process itself. In both, speed, control, precision, and total focus are essential. "The material freeze-frames each instance of movement and holds it forever."
