Artist uses molten glass and fire to shape ideas into reality

Bay Area artist works with glass

An artist uses molten glass and fire to shape ideas into reality. FOX 13 Photojournalist Barry Wong. 

HIGHLANDS COUNTY, Fla. - Even after 15 years, Jack Alden still has the same affinity for glass. 

"Glass is a really magical, mesmerizing material," Alden said. "The way light and glass interact with each other, you get the reflective and refractive properties, which are very different from any other material, and when light goes through the glass, it really does create something amazing and magical."

The backstory:

That magic of the material initially started because of a love of fire and danger. 

"If you deal with dangerous things carefully, danger can also be a pretty powerful tool," Alden said. "Using fire to melt sand, to create glass, to get to shape into anything you can think of is a slight dose of that for me."

Dig deeper:

Alden creates many types of pieces you'd expect a glass artist to make; vases and ornaments, but he loves working on pieces based on different kinds of motivation. 

"I actually ran down to the end of the beach, and I started exploring around on some rocks, and I found a traffic cone that was covered in barnacles like it'd just been living in the ocean for a while, and that just really struck me," Alden said. "So, I made a whole series of awareness art with these vases covered with barnacles and coral."

A partnership with a friend getting a Master of Fine Arts degree prompted the use of an unusual material, chicken wire. 

"She said, Hey, let's try blowing glass into chicken wire, and so why not?" Alden said. "Blew a bubble into it and created this really incredible effect."

What they're saying:

Alden also loves to teach crafts. He's built a mobile kiln, which allows him to hold demonstrations anywhere in the Tampa area. 

"It's one of the most infinitely recyclable materials on the planet," Alden said. "To go out and teach kids and everyone, in real time, the process of melting glass and then remaking it, it was a really incredible and powerful message to be sharing with people."