Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carrie Gustafson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Carrie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?

Without question a business class should be a required course in any art education program. Across the board artist’s of immeasurable talent struggle with how to run a business. And I have soaring admiration for those who have been able to successfully navigate marketing, pricing, shipping and insurance while maintaining their creative spirit. The myth that the artist spends their days staring off into the clouds is just that, a myth!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

When I look back at my artistic path I am astounded by how linear it has been. My grandfather was a cartoonist and it goes without saying that the hours I spent copying his drawings is how I developed my artistic hand. But talent without effort and a supportive network is not enough. And I have been very fortunate to have a family that encouraged me to take the, not so practical course, of attending Rhode Island School of Design. A luxury. A gift beyond gifts and one never taken for granted. The place where I found my voice and my closest friends.

When I graduated with my printmaking degree and my sights set on glass as my material of choice I wanted one thing – a studio where I could create in glass. What showed up in my life was better than anything I could have ever imagined!

While many of my peers continued onto graduate school I began working at a glass blowing studio on Martha’s Vineyard. At the time, the studio was seasonal, but my arrival coincided with the owners purchasing a commercial building in Cambridge, Ma where I was able to rent a studio space. Twenty five plus years later we are all still here in Cambridge! It is not an exaggeration to say that this has been my graduate school. I have had access to tools I could not have afforded on my own. Under The umbrella of their generosity I had the freedom to hone my craft and find my voice. The studio which initially had 5 renters has transformed into a vibrant community. Something I am grateful for everyday.

Our location in Cambridge makes us accessible to designers and architects. Which has led to collaborations on custom lighting, bespoke sculptures and a project for This old House. An honor and a privilege!

Bio:

I am so fortunate that, as an artist, I am afforded the luxury of quiet every single day and the peace I receive from being in my studio is immeasurable. But what I have found even more remarkable is the effect that my work, created in tranquility, has on others. That the pieces I craft with love, care and time do indeed shine serenity, light and joy back into the world.

My work is largely influenced by the natural world and I have come to view my studio time akin to cultivating a garden. A daily routine that is both an outlet for creative discovery and a space where I find balance. There is an organic rhythm to my process. Like an inhale and an exhale – inhaling my surroundings and exhaling life into new pieces. With each new piece another door for exploration opens. And I have found that each work uniquely informs the next; as much as anything external or pre-meditative.

A larger piece can take several weeks to complete and the seemingly simple act of hand cutting and applying stencils – one at a time – has led to great discovery. Watching the growth of new patterns and the interplay of positive and negative space is a creative journey in itself. My love of color is always present and glass – magical and radiant; made by way of breath’s imprint – retains importance as metaphor in my work.

BACKGROUND

Experiments in glassblowing while a printmaking major at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) ignited my signature style of intricate patterns on vibrantly colored hand-blown glass. Upon graduation I quickly found my way into the glass studio. My curiosity took me to the Pilchuck Glass School (WA); Penland School of Crafts (NC); Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass (NY); the Rosin Studio, on Murano, Venice’s historic “glass island” in Italy. In 1998 I found studio space in Cambridge, MA where I continue to thrive.

For over a decade I worked with traditional vessels and I was captivated by the interplay that light, color, pattern and texture have with these closed forms. In 2011 (and 2016) I was honored to be the recipient of a Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant.

This, coupled with a residency at the Tacoma Museum of Glass (2011), enabled me to embark on a new journey – breaking away from the vessel. The act of cutting open the vessels has presented me with a vast expanse of new possibilities and challenges, both technical and aesthetic. It has been fascinating to witness just how different an “open” form reacts to light; this is an exciting new journey and potent metaphor for this stage in my life. Based on African currency bracelets this new format seemingly serves a dual purpose – for me a new way to see color and texture and light; and for the viewer, a fresh perspective. Perhaps due to the nature of the forms – which are reminiscent of artifacts and more easily identifiable with the pace of a museum – are seemingly more deserving of close observation – whereas a vessel, which we identify as utilitarian, might more easily be overlooked.

In 2015 I made my first “shard drawings”. They began as summer play in the studio. Too hot to stencil and sandblast; too short on cash to blow glass I saw opportunity in the shelves of glass blanks that had been deemed seconds. Taking inspiration from the patterns that I had been using in my vessels I began slicing and dicing platters into gestural marks of color. Initially shy to show them publicly I’ve been overjoyed that they have received a warm reception from my gallery and the public. I am in awe, again, at how color changes with light. I’m incredibly excited by this new direction and see endless possibilities for gesture, line and ways to combine color. In many ways I’m taken back to student days where I used flower petals as elements to draw. The glass shards provide me with a similar translucency, but in an archival material.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

What I’ve come to realize in the past few years is that my studio practice is as much about self discovery as it is about the thing being created.

You learn so much by being a maker. But I think the most valuable thing you learn is how to listen. Making requires a deliberate stillness, a deliberate slowing down, a deliberate quieting. You can’t force or push or rush the evolution. I show up everyday – I get myself quiet – I listen to the materials and this deep listening overflows into every other area of my life. And vice versa.

Over the years I have recognized that the pieces I craft in this quiet presence, in a state of “flow”, resonate with a loving vibration that can be felt by the viewer. This has been a delight to witness and has profoundly influenced my passion to create.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Pivot’s are leaps of faith. We all want successful careers; and yet success can hinder someone from pivoting. Your work is selling well, why pivot in a new direction? In this case a pivot can be ignited by the burning desire to grow creatively. Alternatively the motivation to pivot can be failure; the recognition that a chosen direction is not going so well.

I’ve had three distinct “pivots” with my glasswork.

The first pivot was in 2011 when I started experimenting with what has become known as my Mbola series. This pivot was not prompted by failure, but by a desire to push my skills in both the hot and cold shop. What seems like a rather small step now was quite a leap for me at the time. The shift came from a combination of factors. 1. A comment at the Smithsonian Craft Show by a client who held a piece up and said “have you ever thought about displaying your forms upright? 2. My adoration of forms found in the Metropolitan Museum, and 3. The simultaneous gift of a grant and a residency. Initially I experienced a lot of technical setbacks as I have found great success with the Mbola’s and credit them for launching my career in a new direction.

The seed of my second pivot was planted many moons ago when I was asked to fill a huge gallery space. Imagining ways to compliment my vessels I dreamed of cold worked glass pieces pinned to the walls. The idea was shelved when the gallery closed its doors, but resurfaced in 2016 when I had no money to blow glass. I started to slice up old blanks in my studio and play with what would become my second pivot; wall pieces. Still in their infancy I see endless possibilities, but I am thrilled they are finding success in the market.

The third, of course, was Covid. Which forced everyone to pivot and reevaluate. For me the pandemic was a gateway to transformation both personally and professionally; and, as an introvert, I was uniquely positioned for the quiet sanctuary of Covid.

My studio practice has always been my anchor. My guiding light. And it was a great gift that I had access to my studio during the pandemic. All that was required was for me to show up and think outside the box!

Due to the shutdowns I wasn’t able to have glass blown, but I had a studio full of blanks and in the absence of exhibitions I had the time to look at the material with fresh eyes. It was, for many artists I know, a residency. Relieved of the pressure that deadlines create, those years became a period of incredible expression and expansion. I turned to manufactured blanks and designed accessible pieces (mostly barware) that I marketed directly both on social media and via my mailing list. While simultaneously pouring energy into a new collection of wall panels – “shard drawings”.

In the end both directions proved successful and have led to a greater belief in my Artist voice and my ability to stay afloat as a business. Hugely empowering!

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.carriegustafson.com
• Instagram: Carriegustafsonglass
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=carriegustafsonglass
• Youtube: https://vimeo.com/98431956
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=237249453750048 https://vimeo.com/640504871 https://www.pmacraftshow.org/artist/glass/2021/carrie-gustafson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAzewIBlqeM

Image Credits
Cary Wolinsky for American Craft Magazine (portrait) Stingray Mbola, Pebbles – Bill Truslow Bird of Paradise – Mark Nantz Lattice pendant (left ) – Michael J Lee Photography Thistle pendant (right) – Asia Kepka other images – Carrie Gustafson