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Jacob Vincent
"I use glass to frame what’s not there. Curves, contours, facets, and lenses distort everything. A look into my sculptural objects will instantly abstract your everyday; light and imagery are stolen from here and there to build new scenery and give a glimpse of what would otherwise remain invisible."
As an artist, Jacob Vincent exists somewhere between sculptor and machinist. HIs work begins in the kiln, where raw colored glass is loaded into purpose built casting molds. At 1600 degrees F, the glass takes on its basic shape. After cooling for a week’s time, raw blocks come out of the kiln, and the sculpting begins.
In essence, Jacob employs the same process that a stone carver would use. Rather than a hammer and chisel, diamond grinding wheels carve away glass from the solid cast blocks. Every peak, valley, curve, and facet is hand carved. The process is rough and raw. Glass is delicate, but it is also an incredibly hard material. Even stone is soft by comparison. So the grinding process is brutal, with diamond coated steel wheels gouging out glass a millimeter at a time. It’s remarkable that something so delicate can only come from such rough treatment. Once the raw shaping is completed, new surfaces are slowly ground to a satin finish or a full polish.
Working in glass since 2001, Jacob Vincent has extensive experience in many disciplines within glass, both hot and cold. He earned a Master’s Degree in Craft and Material Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011. Jacob has taught extensively throughout the United States, instructing in technical glassmaking as well as conceptual artwork. He has trained under masters in the field, including Alex Bernstein, Dante Marioni, Cesare Toffolo, Emilio Santini, and Jack Wax. Jacob lives and works in Massachusetts with his wife and two young sons who are his most ardent critics and collaborators.
As an artist, Jacob Vincent exists somewhere between sculptor and machinist. HIs work begins in the kiln, where raw colored glass is loaded into purpose built casting molds. At 1600 degrees F, the glass takes on its basic shape. After cooling for a week’s time, raw blocks come out of the kiln, and the sculpting begins.
In essence, Jacob employs the same process that a stone carver would use. Rather than a hammer and chisel, diamond grinding wheels carve away glass from the solid cast blocks. Every peak, valley, curve, and facet is hand carved. The process is rough and raw. Glass is delicate, but it is also an incredibly hard material. Even stone is soft by comparison. So the grinding process is brutal, with diamond coated steel wheels gouging out glass a millimeter at a time. It’s remarkable that something so delicate can only come from such rough treatment. Once the raw shaping is completed, new surfaces are slowly ground to a satin finish or a full polish.
Working in glass since 2001, Jacob Vincent has extensive experience in many disciplines within glass, both hot and cold. He earned a Master’s Degree in Craft and Material Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011. Jacob has taught extensively throughout the United States, instructing in technical glassmaking as well as conceptual artwork. He has trained under masters in the field, including Alex Bernstein, Dante Marioni, Cesare Toffolo, Emilio Santini, and Jack Wax. Jacob lives and works in Massachusetts with his wife and two young sons who are his most ardent critics and collaborators.
