Bernard Heesen

Glasblazerij de Oude Horn

Glassblower

©Pierre Don

©Ben Deiman

©Bernard Heesen

Rebel with an artistic cause

Bernard is a maverick glass maker
Books and atlases from the 19th century are his muse
A musical instrument was wrought by his hand

Bernard Heesen’s glass making career was not something he initially planned, having chosen architecture as his major. He was side-tracked by glass making when helping out in his father’s glass studio back in the late 70s. Here, a fascination with molten glass eventually lured him into becoming a glass artist himself. Marking this momentous U-turn in his life, he climbed Mount Etna, where his free, maker’s spirit came to the fore when trying to blow bubbles from the hot lava. He continues to explore by investigating the possibilities that glassblowing conjures without the ballast of glass making traditions and their techniques. His oeuvre is ornamental and quirky – everyday objects such as wine decanters wrought into decorative surrealism.

Interview

©Bernard Heesen

©Bernard Heesen

Have you mastered any specific techniques?: Glass made by glass artists is too often a boring showcase of techniques they’ve mastered. I try to stay away from this trap. At the beginning of my career this was easy, with no education, or contact with other glass blowers. But over the years, I find we have developed our own tradition of making and noticed that we combine Venetian, Bohemian and Leerdam techniques when making a piece.
What are your sources of inspiration?: Next to the glass making, I also collect 19th century reference books and atlases. I am especially attracted to black and white engravings. When I run out of ideas of what to make and explore with glass, I look at these engravings from a different perspective and realise that the designs are perfect for translating to glass.
What do you love most about your profession?: The speed. The short time you have for manipulating the fluid material. Fluid and solid glass are completely different materials – soft versus hard; hot versus cold; moving versus rigid. I don’t like solid glass, you must clean it, and care needs to be taken not to be break it.
Can you describe a highlight from your professional life?: I once made a 30m high ‘singing’ tower filled with crystal bells, near Utrecht. We made an open metal structure, the outside of which is covered in large blue glass baubles and inside lead crystal bells, all of them tuned like a musical instrument. It’s the first crystal carillon of its kind in the world.

Bernard Heesen is a master artisan: he began his career in 1984 and he started teaching in 1990