In Michael Taylor's Words
(Excerpted from "A Conversation with William Warmus")
"As a university professor, I occupied a rare and privileged vantage point from which to observe the development of studio glass. We – Bruce Chao, Richard Harned, Fred Tschida, Marvin Lipofsky, Bill Carlson, Bill Boysen, Joel Myers, Henry Halem, Brent Young, Robert Fritz, Maureen Cahill, Jon Clark, Alan Klein, Herb Babcock and so many others – were attempting to standardize a curriculum for glass studies. Glass techniques were being rediscovered, or reinvented, on a weekly basis from the early 1970s into the 1990s. It was a constant, exciting, and, at times, exhausting learning experience.
"Light gives me a means of expression in the medium of glass. I manipulate light just as I manipulate volume, space, line, color and rhythm in the design of my work.
"Glass, by its nature, refracts, transfers, reflects, emanates, magnifies, focuses and contains light as radiant energy. Photographers have told me they see glass metaphorically as a form of light. For me, working with light is like working with a living substance. Glass reacts acutely to every minuscule change of light source and intensity. It's exciting, mysterious and unpredictable. I am never completely sure of the outcome.
"Light can enliven sculpture in a way that transforms entire surroundings. It can elevate consciousness. Anyone who visits a Gothic cathedral like Sainte-Chapelle in Paris of the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul can attest to this moving experience.
"It is the audience's responsibility to bring something with them as they view the work. I am trying to create an introspective state of mind for them, a journey. I want viewers to go into that altered state of consciousness that allows them to lose themselves in fascination.
"Color and form can enrich people's lives, bring new dimensions to experience and rekindle a sense of wonder. My work encourages the viewer to see a universe that is full of depth, light and life."
