Perfect Balance
Glass jewelry with movement, flow, and timeless design
by Stephan Magcosta
Glass artists Rick Jarvis and Alison Baker use a new kiln technique to create unique movement and balance
Their art studio is a study in contrasts, lying in wooded seclusion North of Seattle, its surrounding stillness is broken only by the sound of birds, distant neighbors, soft rain. Well-suited for creativity, it’s where Rick Jarvis and Alison Baker have forged a dynamic partnership to develop a new method of blending molten glass in a kiln.
Their contrasting sensibilities are immediately apparent. Brandishing sheaves of handwritten notes, Rick appears the consummate scientist, the studio his laboratory; his review of their new jewelry line brings to mind a professor considering results of an experiment. Alison appears more intuitive, her design sense a function of instinct. As she touches individual pieces, her expression resembles that of a musician tuning an instrument.
For the past several years, they’ve balanced this yin and yang polarity to produce ornamental glass discs of striking design, creating dramatic patterns true to their artistic balance. Now they’ve added a new jewelry line, also produced with their unique kiln process. Their jewelry embodies evocative, intricate glasswork that not only captures the eye, it sustains attention –the more we look, the more we see.
“Good design doesn’t let the eye escape,” Alison says. I watch her fan an array of unmounted jewelry earrings across a studio table. They catch the morning light, the blur of bright color reminds me of tropical birds. I take a closer look, struck by the organic quality in the individual pieces. Each has a sense of flow and natural movement; the effect is unexpected, as if I’m examining colorful patterns in samples of a newly discovered gemstone.
Rather than border with sharp or muted lines, the colors in each piece actually flow into each other, creating movement that might not be apparent with a passing glance. “Movement is key,” Rick agrees. “It makes what we do unique.” He then explains how their glasswork is distinguished from what he calls “spin art,” where centrifugal force causes color to radiate from the center of a piece. “None of our pieces have that effect.”
When asked to disclose how this is accomplished, he explains. “Kiln temperature is everything. I call our proprietary technique ‘kinetic casting.’ It allows color movement without the sense of painting, and offers a great deal of creative freedom.” Rick uses his finger to trace the movement of yellow and red flowing across a small disk. The two colors blend in a way that seems natural and alive; the effect is like gazing at a photograph of churning, molten lava.
Rick reveals that what I see as lava flow results from working within color rules he’s determined after years of experimentation. “It’s very much a scientific process. I’ve found that only certain color combinations work, and these vary according to the pattern you’re trying to create. But choosing your color is only part of a lengthy production process. Glass is fired a second time to remove surface irregularities.” I ask whether a second exposure to the kiln might alter the color. “Not if it’s done at a lower temperature,” he explains. “The pattern remains intact through the second firing.”
If kinetic casting appears to involve considerable work, it does. I ask whether design creation is as laborious. “Not at all,” she answers with a smile. “I worked my way through college as a potter. But I discovered pottery as a way to relax, and I still find relaxation in the design element of glass art.” I comment on the jewelry pieces displayed at their website, noting that the pieces set in silver all appear in basic shapes—combinations of circles, triangles, squares and rectangles (http://youcankissmyglass.com/).
“These are basic architectural shapes,” she explains. “I’ve had a lifelong interest in architectural form. As a potter, I sought to make perfectly balanced teacups and teapots. I find that same inclination in jewelry design. What I strive for is a perfect, basic design rather than one that’s flowery and ornate. Because our glass has such a rich, dynamic quality, I like to draw attention to it, so in the settings I prefer crispness and simplicity, a balanced form that holds your attention to the glass, much like a picture frame.”
I repeat what she mentioned earlier. “So, good design doesn’t let the eye escape?”
“That’s right,” she says. “And this is what I seek, to design art that can be worn as compared with an ordinary piece of jewelry. Balance is key, as is eye movement.” I observe that this seems a different sensibility than her partner’s, one that’s more thought of, perhaps, as a traditional artist’s view. “That’s true,” she says.
I’m again struck by their differences. Alison agrees that their working relationship is very much a balance of opposites. “How we each work is somewhat of a mystery to the other, though we’ve been together now for eight years. Rick’s much more scientific in his approach than I am. Maybe this reflects traditional male-female energy.”
Regardless, the dramatic tension between their two sensibilities had led to the creation of an exciting jewelry line. Their earrings and pendants have a sense of timelessness; understated, elegant settings that showcase glass of unique color and pattern equal to two dynamic and different temperaments.