Martin Kremer Works

Artist’s Statement

Glass has been a medium of expression for me for more than 30 years.  I started as a stained glass enthusiast while pursuing a career in medical technology.  Glass eventually took over, evolving from a hobby to a spare-time business to a full-time obsession.

I’ve studied blown and fused glass at the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, at Urban Glass in Brooklyn, NY and at the Corning Museum of Glass Studio.

Glass fusing, or kiln-forming, is an ancient technique; the work is generally set up cold, using a variety of techniques in common with stained glass and mosaics.  The glass is fired in an electric kiln at temperatures to 1600F; multiple firings may be required to achieve the desired appearance and form.  Coldworking techniques such as diamond abrasive grinding and carving, sandblasting and acid etching complete the piece.

In 1998 I started fusing by translating pattern to glass, with inspiration from Native American fabrics, Venetian tiles and marquetry patterns.  That work led to the Ventana series of vessels, studies in contrasts; opacity/transparency, matte/glossy, all played out on a vividly colored palette.  And that series has recently taken a sculptural turn in the direction of walls, Paredes, and other structures incorporating fused glass with the same contrasts but with the addition of an architectural tension between free-standing pieces.  They might be seen as models for large public monuments.

Glass is an interesting material that brings its own ideas to my work.  I strive for balance and tension visually but the glass sometimes has another agenda.  I have a great deal of respect for the weighty medium I’ve chosen to work with, and find its fluidity and variety to be a never-ending source of creative inspiration.