Influence Behind My Glass Sculptures
In my previous article about inspiration, I talked about the trickiness with the common question, “What is your inspiration?” In that article, I did not state the actual influence behind my glass sculptures. For people expecting me to pin-point those one or two things that have had an influence on my work, then this second part is the article for you. The Chicken or The Egg Influence and inspiration for me has always felt similar to the “chicken or the egg” theory. Let me give an example of what I mean by that. Let’s say you’re in the mood for chocolate...
Read MoreInspiration in Art | Glass Sculpture | Bernard Katz
The inspiration in art and in my own artwork, primarily in my glass sculpture, has for me been a tricky question. Why? Probably the top question besides, “What is it?” that is often asked of an artist, would be, “What is your inspiration?” Whether it is a person writing an article about my artwork, or a curious person just making light conversation… I have had to answer that question countless times. It’s not that I don’t want to answer it, or that I don’t have an answer. The question can be tricky because people generally want a short...
Read MoreCan’t Draw a Straight Line
”I can’t draw a straight line.” – I’m sure there is a good chance you may have heard someone make this statement at one time or another. When I hear someone say this, it usually means it is code for – “I am not creative enough to do thing (x), or thing (y).” Basically, it is just a way to down play their creative abilities. I personally have always believed that a big part of what separates human beings intellectually from most mammals is our creativity. Creativity and inventiveness is simply problem solving with a potential goal in mind. A...
Read MoreIs this piece perfect?
“Is this piece perfect?” This is a question people sometimes ask me when looking at one of my glass sculptures, vases, or bowls. I think I was most surprised the first time someone asked me that. I felt a little defensive… not because the piece was defective in any way, but because I didn’t have a good answer. Was it perfect in its artistic achievement? I figured the person asking the question probably wondered if I considered it perfect in every way – in shape, form, and artistic goal realized. Either that or maybe they were hoping to fly it to the moon....
Read MoreWhen Craft becomes Art
Art vs. Craft – part three In part one of Art vs. Craft; I rolled through some of the aspects for the term, “craft”. Good or bad, craft tends to rely more heavily on the mechanical end of the creative process – that is, the physical act of making something. In part two; I made my attempt at defining “art”, or more specifically, ” fine art”. Ambiguous terms such as the word “art”, are almost impossible to define in a concise way. That is why I believe the ambiguity of these words has been at the root in the questioning of...
Read MoreFine Art – Concept gives Longevity
Art vs. Craft – part two In part one of Art vs. Craft; I covered what craft is considered to be when working in mediums like glass or wood. I have been making what some people refer to as art glass and art glass sculpture for quite some time now. As an artist, sculptor, designer, and glass blower most of my life, I have seen and heard the word “art” used and attributed to more things than almost any other word I know… but what makes something art, or what is sometimes called “fine art“? Fine Art – Concept gives Longevity. Fine art is an...
Read MoreAuthor: Bernard Katz
Bernard Katz is a contemporary art glass designer, sculptor, and creative problem solver. 
