Ben Greene-Colonnese Works

Ben Greene-Colonnese has discovered his real passion in the medium of glass. He finds glass to be physically demanding and tactile, yet also emotionally transformative. He enjoys striving to overcome the obstacles inherent in the physical process of firing and cooling this fragile and recalcitrant material—for so in doing he finds himself exploring his own reactions to the natural word and to the lovely, primary forms found there. These days, as he molds, casts, and grinds glass objects, he often finds himself seeing the natural world as glass and through glass, and is brought ever closer to an understanding of his own aesthetic responses. In his recent work, he uses found objects, mainly of these naturally polished or uniquely shaped stones. He often joins such natural objects, usually collected locally from streams and abandoned quarries, and national parks with cast and cold-worked glass pieces that are themselves shaped and polished in such a way as to aesthetically compliment or echo those naturally-occurring forms; in hopes not to compete with, but to synchronize with the natural aesthetic as an ode to something larger.

"For me, nature is a neo-religious force that provides inspiration and creates awe and wonder. The natural world is my cathedral and, I believe, calls all of us to our higher selves. Moreover, nature provides many truths, both historical and eternal. It is also important to me that I continue to find ways to express the natural world with glass."