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Seekers® Art Glass Gallery presents the work of Mayauel
Ward, who creates a series of original floral and aquatic designs in
paperweights, utilizing the ancient techniques of Lampworking also called
Flameworking. These terms are used interchangeably and date back thousand of
years to a time when glass was worked over the flame of an oil burning lamp.
The American Studio Glass Movement is a new phenomenon in the 4000+ year
history of glass as an artistic medium. In 1962 technology was developed that
allowed artists to make glass alone and unaided. Prior to that time, glass art
objects were made only in large factories. Traditional methods are still in use
at established glass factories like Steuben, Waterford, Baccarat, etc., where
hundreds of employees work in large teams to mass produce glass objects.
By contrast, studio glass artists work individually, completing every aspect
of the glassmaking process from design through signature. The quantity of work
they produce is so limited that most studio glass artists will make fewer pieces
in their lifetimes than factories like Waterford will make in one day.
As Mayauel describes his work "I make all of my pieces myself. No two
are exactly the same. Having lived by the beach all of my life, I’ve had a
close connection with the ocean and nature in general. This has been a big
influence in my career."
Mayauel creates each piece freely, without the use of molds, using
traditional methods that are thousands of years old. He creates each piece at
the end of a five-foot long metal pipe, constantly spinning and reheating the
molten mass. He began working in glass in 1977 and established his own studio in
1988. Mayauel has worked with and been inspired by Paul Stankard, Stuart
Abelman, Paul Harrie, Ken Rosenfeld, and Lundberg Studios.
Mayauel Ward’s work has been exhibited in the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum,
which is known for its world-renowned paperweight collection. His work has also
been shown in publications such as Paperweights of the World and All
About Paperweights.
Seekers is pleased to welcome Mayauel and his outstanding glass to our
collection.
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