Biography
Steven Ciezki grew up in Calumet City, Illinois. He started drawing in 1995 at the age of seven. This talent helped him discover glass as a sculptural material in college. Steven graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Illinois State University in 2012. Two years later, he received a residency at the Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass to experiment with complex techniques in the hotshop. This resulted in solo exhibitions in Louisville, KY and Cincinnati, OH. After moving to Arizona, teaching opportunities informed the creation of a new glassblowing technique book. Steven published “Life on the Rails” in May of 2017. He has been invited as an artist and teacher to studios in Belgium, Turkey, and Japan and was the first international artist to receive the Art Group Creative Fellowship at Canberra Glassworks in Australia. Steven currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona where he is a practicing glass artist, author, and illustrator.
Artist Statements
Stacks and Towers
With a nod to the past, this series is based upon the joy in which I view the world around me. The Stacks emerged as a reaction to Venetian glass from the Renaissance. The silhouettes of goblet stems inform large sculptures to celebrate a rich history. The shift in scale felt architectural. Childhood visits to Chicago introduced me to urban architecture. I remember being visually stimulated by buildings that divided space into layers of hard-edged shapes. The Stacks became Towers when building profiles started to influence the designs.
With a nod to the past, this series is based upon the joy in which I view the world around me. The Stacks emerged as a reaction to Venetian glass from the Renaissance. The silhouettes of goblet stems inform large sculptures to celebrate a rich history. The shift in scale felt architectural. Childhood visits to Chicago introduced me to urban architecture. I remember being visually stimulated by buildings that divided space into layers of hard-edged shapes. The Stacks became Towers when building profiles started to influence the designs.
Sweet Spot
This work produces spatial experiences with glass and paint. I use glass shapes as canvases for oil paintings that warp reality. This idea began in photography. When I go out for a photo shoot, I let my surroundings control my movement in space. I mentally analyze shapes on multiple grounds of depth to predict where things will line up. As I notice relationships start to develop, I wander towards different viewpoints. The best moments happen when it feels as if a spot was intentionally put there waiting to be found. I recreate instances like these to transport the viewer into my shoes and let them experience my eyes as I wander through space on the lookout for these special moments. I call them Sweet Spots.
This work produces spatial experiences with glass and paint. I use glass shapes as canvases for oil paintings that warp reality. This idea began in photography. When I go out for a photo shoot, I let my surroundings control my movement in space. I mentally analyze shapes on multiple grounds of depth to predict where things will line up. As I notice relationships start to develop, I wander towards different viewpoints. The best moments happen when it feels as if a spot was intentionally put there waiting to be found. I recreate instances like these to transport the viewer into my shoes and let them experience my eyes as I wander through space on the lookout for these special moments. I call them Sweet Spots.
Speaker Towers
As the youngest of three brothers, I did a lot of watching, listening, and reflecting. My voice was usually drowned out so I frequently became the observer. I didn’t mind it because I always learned something. This aspect of my life is the jumping off point for the Communicators. Each one is part of a story. The viewer’s imagination give them life.
As the youngest of three brothers, I did a lot of watching, listening, and reflecting. My voice was usually drowned out so I frequently became the observer. I didn’t mind it because I always learned something. This aspect of my life is the jumping off point for the Communicators. Each one is part of a story. The viewer’s imagination give them life.
© 2019 Steven Ciezki Glass
