A life path shaped towards glass
- Jarrod designs and creates functional, hand blown glassware
- He strives to apply factory logic to his one-man production studio
- He uses a waterlogged newspaper to manipulate the glass during the hottest stage
Jarrod Futscher grew up in Kentucky with his father in the automotive industry, and his mother working in schools. "I did not know any artists personally," he says. He planned to study graphic design until a newly launched glass programme at the University of Louisville, started by Ché Rhodes, changed everything. Initially drawn by the sight of the flame, the fluid movement and the physicality of the process, Jarrod chose glassmaking as his creative pursuit. After graduating, he spent a year at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, maintaining equipment that runs at over 1000°C (~2000°F), then laid roots in Pittsburgh. Today, Jarrod has his workspace at Acme Art Studios in Louisville. His clear and delicate glassware has been shown at the Smithsonian Craft Show and was featured in American Craft magazine.
Discover his work
INTERVIEW
Glass is captivating: it is hot, it is fluid, but people do not realise there is such a learning curve to manipulating it successfully. The past 10 years have been about acquiring the skill set that I could apply to execute my designs. I learnt through my failures.
Whether making a cup, bottle or bowl, I have to account for every step in the glassmaking process, so my day is based on repetition and execution. My craft is all about setting myself up to execute the next step safely and efficiently. Glass is a demanding, humbling material.
Clean silhouettes and a minimalist design. Everything I make must look as good as it functions, and function as well as it looks. Designing something on paper and then creating this in glass really motivates me. Success depends on good planning.
I am in the early stages of a new design range with a college friend. Throughout my career, I have set myself milestones to help me grow in directions that interest me. The goal has always been to provide for myself through my work, and I feel very thankful that I have been able to achieve this.
