Kent Kahlen - Studio Art Glass

Amphora

from the Archeological Series
16.5 inches tall x 15 inches wide x 9 inches deep

Kent Kahlen, like many young adults, didn't know what he really wanted to do with his life. Armed with intelligence, he decided to study chiropractic medicine. One semester away from his degree, he was forced into an art elective. Knowing little to nothing about art, he went to the art building, with the intent to see what it was about and to select a course for the upcoming semester. As he entered through the glass doors, he saw a glowing ball being swirled around by some unknown person. He passed through another set of doors and was assaulted by the intense heat and sound. He had no idea what was happening, but was so intrigued he spent the remainder of the day fixated, observing the students at work. He ended up staying the whole semester. He signed up for glass blowing for the next semester, and earned extra money blowing perfume bottles for the instructor.

He graduated from Cal. State, Fullerton. Spent the next four years developing his own business, "DISPLAY", which offered rentals to art galleries. Sold his business in 1995 with enough money to open his own hot shop. He immediately immersed himself into perfume bottles, which helped him hone his skills. In five years that followed, his work has grown into an expression of his own artistic interpretation. Although he feels there are no new ideas in this world, just new ways of exploring the possibilities of those ideas.

Kahlen's work is inspired by the pieces found in archeological digs. Intrigued by the shapes and the process of the breaking and reassembling of the clay vessels, ultimately depicting the erosion of time. Thus the "Erosion Series" started. Although glass doesn't erode, he forces time onto his work - what he would like to have happen or expect to have happen to his work - over time.

His approach is straightforward. Kahlen spends time with the shape of the vessel. He will blow the vessel from clear glass and analyze the shape to see if the shape itself is strong enough on its own in the absence of color. Once the shape is determined, he blows the vessel, combining thick layers of clear with thin layers of color. He gravitates to the warm earth tones, which supports the intention of the piece. He then determines where the breakage would occur. Those areas are left exposed, with the remainder of the vessel coated with a thick, rubbery tape. He cuts out the exposed areas with a sandblaster. Once satisfied, he removes the coating, and lightly sandblasts and acid dips the entire piece. This creates the satin finish to the surface of the piece.

The biggest impact on his life and his art was the birth of his son, Nate, in August 1999. He feels like his life began at this point, experiencing for the first time an overwhelming sense of love, compassion and responsibility. In ways he cannot articulate, Nate's presence in his life has allowed him to be more grounded, yet more expressive in his art.

Kent Kahlen's work can be found in public and private collections throughout the world. Caring for Kent Kahlen's glass sculptures is rather simple. Use a standard glass cleaner, sprayed onto a soft cotton cloth and gently wipe of the surface of the sculpture, inside and out. In between cleanings, a feather duster is a wonderful tool to keep the piece dust-free.