Industrial architectural landscapes and the restless energy of cities point the way for this body of work, with references to the effects of time and remembrance of place. Multipart graphite molds are used as a tool to reinterpret architecture in blown glass. With a jazz-like sense of improvisation, I compose each mold from a large and growing library of interchangeable parts that are custom milled and hand carved by me. As a result, no two compositions are ever alike.

The luminescent qualities of glass appeal to me as it responds to light. I am drawn to the potential of a material that can vary from a translucent to an opaque medium in a brilliant range of colors and gradations. The blown pieces become the canvas for the carving process and the carving becomes the core of the design in each piece. Through this coldworking process I have been able to explore the potential of the material and focus my artistic vision.

Michael Schunke and Josie Gluck collaborate to craft contemporary hand-blown glass designs and one-of-a-kind art objects. From consistent multiples to unique sculptural pieces, their work displays brilliant color combinations, meticulous craftsmanship and a creative approach to form.

My current work and series, "Soul Cages: An exploration of change, time, and process," is about inner life forces. The simple bubble is the genesis of all blown forms in glass, perhaps even the soul of glass. I prefer to work in blown forms because they capture a touch of life and a unique part of the artistic process; the human breath. In this series, i've tried to "let go," allowing the bubbles to expand as large as they can without too much control over their shape as they inflate in one breath. Later i group them in abstract ways as they remind me of something, setting them in locally found stones, often with the living moss still intact. By piercing the bubbles with a flame and leaving only their pure form, these captured bubbles are reduced to their absolute basic structure, pure essence, or inner life force. They are not stitched or woven, but rather blown, manipulated, and fumed with precious metals.

This work is a progression from my blown glass work. It is kiln formed which offers the ability to inlay color and embed the imagery between layers of glass. Each piece is sand carved, color frit inlayed and fired multiple times to achieve the desired result. The imagery is initially hand drawn and cut on a masking material covering the sheet of glass. I am inspired by ancient art from all parts of the world. My themes depict narrative events involving various flora and fauna in evocative emotional settings.