Scott Amrhein - Studio Art Glass

32" Long Oval [filesize 8K]	32" Long Oval [filesize 7K]	21" Elliptical Luminescent Bowl [filesize 13K]
32" Oval Feather Bowl [filesize 10K]

“It has been said that ‘man cannot duplicate nature, but only represent it.’ I hope every piece I create, combining natural and man-made materials, is a reflection of that statement. It is the discovery and application of various elemental materials which enables me to create a unique body of work.”

Some artists are “called” at an early age and follow their artistic vision fervently, with a set goal in mind for their chosen medium - they dominate it and become its master. Others, like Scott Amrhein, discover their artistic leanings in a more serendipitous manner. They are led down the artist’s path by the artform as it entices them, and the artistic journey unfolds.

When Amrhein’s wife decided to take up stained glass as a hobby during the late 1970’s, he soon found himself drawn to the art. While working in the metal casting industry, he began designing glass projects and accepting small commission work on his own time. Before long he landed a commission producing windows for a four-star restaurant in Wisconsin, and his career in glass was sealed.

By 1988 Amrhein and his wife continued designing and fabricating art glass for site specific areas throughout the Midwest. In 1996 Amrhein expanded his creative efforts to include slumped glass bowls. Again, the artform seemed to lead him to develop his own special style and creation - the luminescent bowl.

Through a series of experiments, the bowls evolved - each with its unique metallic organic pattern, created as the metallic finish resists gravity when the hot glass slumps in the kiln.

“I want to express not only the fluid, lava-like nature of glass in its molten state, but also the finely polished material that man has created from sand, line and ash. The absence of primary colors and the simplicity of design are the trademarks of the pieces. It must be noted that since heat and gravity form the bowl, no two are exactly alike. I relinquish my control to nature!”

To compliment the lustrous bowls, Amrhein has designed several primitive-style bases created from wood and metal, resulting in a striking presentation.

Although he has traveled extensively, Amrhein remains firmly rooted in the Midwest. His appreciation of the arts, he says, is a direct result of the wealth of natural beauty that surrounds him. As Thoreau said, “I went to the woods to live my life deliberately”. Amrhein believes those are wise words to ponder. “I want my life to reflect those simple words, in a time when lives are not always so simple.”