Incredibly Intricate Glasswork by Janis Miltenberger is Inspired by Mythology

Glass artist Janis Miltenberger draws on the roles of mythology and storytelling as attempts to explain our experience of the world to build complex glass sculptures. Her work often takes the shape of recognizable objects, like human figures and chairs, which are then filled with incredible detail. The artist uses borosilicate glass, and enhanced with glass colors, gold luster, sandblasting, and oil paint. 

Miltenberger shares with Colossal that she was originally drawn to ceramics, and discovered glassblowing in college, where she apprenticed with Richard Marquis. Many years later, she was introduced to lampworking, which is her preferred technique today. She explains, “working alone with a torch was more personal and I don’t think I was quite as aware at that point how I needed that space set apart to focus and identify my ideas and voice.”

The artist’s most recent series, “Doctrine of Signatures,” is based on The Signature of All Things, a 17th century book by Jakob Boehme which detailed the commonly-held belief that the outward appearance of a plant reflected its medicinal value. She is currently working on a large installation that moves away from her decorative style. In fall 2018, Miltenberger will be teaching in Niijima, Japan, and her work will be shown at the Bellevue Art Museum in Washington state. (via Lustik)

Source: thisiscolossal.com