Robert Burch [b. 1991] is an experimental glass artist unbound by medium or physical location. He creates wherever he is; the mountains of Colorado, New York City, Asheville, etc. As a life-long skateboarder and creative, he is an engaged participant in counter cultural world views and artistic practices. His work is rooted in analog processes however, Robert completed a degree in graphic design [School of Visual Arts, NYC, 2022] at a characteristically unconventional time and has since combined motifs developed across mediums to carve out a style and voice for himself.
Robert’s nomadic life is reflected in the myriad media he employs in his work. Primarily a glass artist (he began apprenticing at 16), he adds items such as keys and rocks and other dichotomous materials to glass. He ties rock climbing rope together with rope made of glass, wraps barbed wire around vases, creates human-sized cairns with blown glass stones and found rocks. His use of material is rivaled only by his ability to manipulate it and he is truly unrestricted by a studio. Robert also creates work after considering his environmental impact and thus uses found and recycled materials as well as sourcing 90% of his glass from Jackson County Energy Park located in Dillsboro (about 4 miles from his tiny, off-grid house). Instead, he creates connections and works in studios and in concert with artists around North America and Europe, collaboration and exploration at the core of what he creates.
At the beginning of 2024, Robert debuted with nine other contestants on the Netflix glass lowing series, ‘Blown Away’. Spoiler: he didn’t make it very far. However he is using this opportunity to explore untapped collaborations and creative outlets, to continue the evolution of his creative practice.
Our world is undeniably in the midst of an environmental crisis. Regardless of political views, the fact remains that our planet is being mistreated. In many fields beyond art, there is a dichotomy between a green movement and the willful ignorance of the harm being done. I write this statement to shed light on the fact that I take this into profound consideration when conceptualizing and materializing my art works. 90% of the glass that I make is made at an environmentally considerate glass studio by the name of Jackson County Green Energy Park. This facility has been pivotal for my thinking on these matters. The reheating furnaces are fueled by the bio decomposition of trash. If it were not for this eco-facility, the use of glass in my art works would decline sharply. Methane is 20 times worse for the atmosphere than CO2 and therefore its combustion is the environmentally responsible conduct. I see my art is a byproduct of the investigation of renewable energy resources and environmental protection, in the midst of a reckless field. All the steel I use in my work is reclaimed from scrap yards, removing it from the waste stream and repurposing it. I cannot in good conscience ignore the environmental impacts my artwork has on the planet and have adjusted my lifestyle and work accordingly. Instead of just privately preaching, I hope to set a personal example to show my contemporaries that we can transition to a more eco-considerate practice. I tend to keep this conversation to myself but for humility's sake, I feel like this statement needs to be in writing for friends, clients, patrons who share the same drive to tread lightly on the planet but continue to perpetuate one's ideas.
Press
Love and Radio Podcast
This is a more in depth look at the photos I was taking at the time of the tale told on Love + Radio. I hope these pictures give a clearer image of what I was describing.
Music contribution by The Heresiarch
