Creative Glass Serbia

Creative Glass Serbia

Pitchers in full colour, from the collection of flat pitchers created by Michael J. Schunke (Vetro Vero); photo: courtesy of Michael J. Schunke and Vetro Vero

Michael J. Schunke – The American ninja of Venetian-style goblets

Michael Schunke is among the leading figures on the American glass art scene. His works demonstrate a profound knowledge of the history of glassmaking and a boldness that bridges centuries of the craft.

Written by S. Jovičić and I. Mijalković

A collection of blown-glass goblets in a range of colours, by Michael J. Schunke; photo: courtesy of Michael J. Schunke

Since 1994, when he opened his Nine Iron Studios (now Vetro Vero), Michael Schunke has been among the leading figures on the American glass art scene. His works display a deep knowledge of the history of glassmaking and a boldness that bridges centuries of the craft. Made using traditional Murano techniques, they carry the contemporary imprint of his intuition.

Sculpture „Thistle Crucible“ by Michael J. Schunke, hand-blown and engraved glass with a mirrored-glass core; photo: courtesy of Michael J. Schunke
Sculpture „Thistle Crucible“ by Michael J. Schunke, hand-blown and engraved glass with a mirrored-glass core; photo: courtesy of Michael J. Schunke

Intuition moves me to mark-making as a means to simultaneously invite and interrupt vision.

– Michael Schunke

Today, Schunke devotes most of his time to experiments that explore the movement of molten glass, yet he remains best known on the market for the one-of-a-kind Venetian-style goblets that first brought him recognition and that he continues to produce. In the playful spirit of these goblets, he presents himself on Instagram as the goblet ninja (@thegobletninja).

He began working with glass as a teenager in his improvised studio and soon went on to earn degrees in glass art from two renowned institutions – the Tyler School of Art and the Rhode Island School of Design, where he studied Venetian techniques in particular.

Thirty years immersed in practice have convinced him that artistic value emerges only from complete mastery of glassmaking techniques. This is why he works daily to refine his discipline ever further. Given the importance he attaches to technical knowledge, it is hardly surprising that he taught in Japan, at the Toyama Institute of Glass Art. He has also been an artist-in-residence at the glass studios of the museums in Tacoma and Toledo, and holds the status of Fellow at the Creative Glass Center of America in New Jersey. Even as a student, his professors used to say that he was a perfectionist.

A Perfectionist

Trideset godina uronjen u praksu, on veruje da umetnička vrednost izlazi tek iz savršenog vladanja tehnikama izrade stakla. S obzirom na to koliki značaj pripisuje tehničkom znanju, ne čudi to što je bio profesor u Japanu, na Tojama institutu za umetnost stakla. Bio je i rezidencijalni umetnik u ateljeima pri muzejima stakla u Takomi i Toledu, a u Američkom kreativnom centru za staklo u Nju Džersiju (Creative Glass Center of America) ima status kolege (fellow). Još dok je bio student, profesori su govorili da je perfekcionista.

Pink-glass goblets by Michael J. Schunke, assisted by Josie Gluck, November 2022; photo: courtesy of Michael J. Schunke and Vetro Vero

With a clear focus on the form of the material (the relationship between line and volume), an aesthetic rooted in a deep understanding of glass, and exceptional technical skill, Schunke is a multiple award-winning artist and designer. He works diligently in the village of West Grove (about an hour’s drive from Philadelphia), where he long ago purchased an old house and established his studio in the former backyard dairy. The objects and sculptures he has created have been acquired for the collections of the Ebeltoft Glass Museum in Denmark, the Museum of American Glass in Millville, the Toledo Museum of Glass (Ohio), the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Toyama Glass Museum in Japan, and others. His current portfolio comprises six distinct segments.

As a teenager, I began to develop a studio practice rooted in glassmaking. I am dedicated to excellence in craftsmanship, and look to historical Venetian references as benchmarks of craft. While embracing traditional techniques, it is my intention to sustain my practice and intuition in the present. Through physical repetition and personal inquiry, I find the forms and patterns that possess quiet, traditional beauty simultaneously with my intuition and contemporary details, which I call "grit."

- Michael Schunke

Venetian Goblet: A Reflection of Craftsmanship

With his Sacrificial Vessels, Schunke pays tribute to his beloved mentor, Pino Signoretto (1944–2017). In acknowledging his mentor’s passing, these vessels speak to the fragility of tradition and the indifference of contemporary art towards glassmaking skills. Engaging in a dialogue with historical efforts of master glassmakers to combine sculpted goblet stems with the subtleties of blown glass, Schunke creates these lidded vessels adorned with sculptural symbols of mortality — skulls, ravens, and roses. Two videos on Greg Owen’s YouTube channel show Michael crafting a blue-glass sacrificial vessel, offering a glimpse into the working atmosphere of his studio.

Sacrificial Vessel by Michael J. Schunke, pink blown glass; photo: courtesy of Michael J. Schunke
Purple Goblet Collection, 2016, hand-blown glass, by Michael J. Schunke; photo: courtesy of Michael J. Schunke

Another element of his portfolio comprises compositions of dozens of Venetian-style goblets, arranged to explore the nuances of a single colour — greys, blues, and the like. They reveal his fascination with glass’s unique ability to transmit light and colour. Each goblet, a masterpiece in its own right, serves as a sculptural element that builds the visual crescendo of the entire composition.

Copper Blue Goblets, 2014, hand-blown glass, by Michael J. Schunke; photo: courtesy of Michael J. Schunke

Then comes a series of sculptures titled Crucible, reffering to the vessel in a furnace where glass batch melts into molten glass. These are Schunke’s experimental works — blown glass that “captures” the internal process of transformation (from powder to molten state, heating, and movement). By repeating on the glass surface a pattern observed during this process, he uses it as a measure and record of the passage of time. Through the multiplication of this pattern, he creates an unusual beauty out of the everyday.

The sculpture Rain Crucible and a detail of it, hand-blown and engraved glass with a polished brass core, by Michael J. Schunke; photo: courtesy of Michael J. Schunke
Tourmaline Colored Goblet Collection, 2016, hand-blown glass, by Michael J. Schunke; photo: courtesy of Michael J. Schunke

Venetian-style goblets form the cornerstone of Michael Schunke’s studio – they are his creative starting point. Such goblets are among the most challenging tasks for any glass artist – each is made from very thin, delicate components, and the artist has only one chance to assemble them correctly, or risk ruining the entire piece.

For Schunke, the Venetian goblet is a clear expression of craftsmanship, born of practice, rhythm, and skill. He executes demanding Venetian techniques with ease, and his goblets – sometimes made from neodymium glass or accented with gold leaf, and occasionally enhanced with design interventions such as printed motifs – feel entirely fresh and modern. Frequently featured in galleries and in specialist, professional, and popular publications (including The Glass Quarterly, Vogue, New York Spaces), Schunke’s goblets have achieved international acclaim. On Vetro Vero’s YouTube channel, viewers can also watch him create a tulip-shaped goblet with a traditional diamond-patterned design.

Pagliesco & Amaranth goblet collection by Michael J. Schunke; photo: courtesy of Michael J. Schunke

Vessels are his sculptural works applied to functional forms, most often vases and bowls. This segment of his portfolio is developed primarily in collaboration with Josie Gluck, a glass artist and designer and his wife. Together, they explore the structure of the material by introducing asymmetrical patterns that create apparent chaos in the glass, only to discover order and harmony within it, which they then use as a new design. Unlike most artists, who follow the “work of the glass“ and capture moments that delight them, Schunke seeks to control the movement of the glass – a pursuit that represents the ultimate mastery of a material from which an artist otherwise stays separated. Because this type of his and Josie Gluck’s work is of particular interest to glass artists, they give frequent demonstrations at the Corning Museum of Glass and at other venues promoting contemporary art.

A pair of white-threaded glass vessels, by Michael J. Schunke; photo: courtesy of Michael J. Schunke
Detail of the collaborative work of Michael J. Schunke and Josie Gluck on open forms; source: YouTube channel of the Corning Museum of Glass (2022) and Vetro Vero (www.vetrovero.com)

The Vetro Vero Brand

Since 2010, Schunke and his wife Josie Gluck have been steadily building the Vetro Vero brand (Italian for “true glass”), aimed at a broader design market. The brand is dedicated to preserving traditional techniques while expressing contemporary innovation through works that exude an obsession with design excellence and craftsmanship. At that time, he also renamed his studio, where the two of them continue to handle every aspect themselves – from design to delivery. Josie is a highly trained glass artist in her own right. She gained professional experience as part of the artistic teams of Dale Chihuly and Lino Tagliapietra, and has long been a glass instructor at numerous schools.

Pitchers in full colour, from the collection of flat pitchers created by Michael J. Schunke (Vetro Vero); photo: courtesy of Michael J. Schunke and Vetro Vero

The two form a renowned artistic duo, regularly giving guest lectures and workshops around the world, while the Vetro Vero brand is best known for its striking decorative tableware. Many design magazines have featured their collections, such as Nuvolo and Goccia, and Greg Owen has filmed them creating one of their famous flat pitchers. These are the works of highly skilled artists – not only are they thoughtfully conceived, but they are also perfectly proportioned (a quality that requires a finely tuned sense developed only through years of practice) and flawlessly executed. They will surprise you with unexpected subtleties, such as hints of other colours or meticulously finished edges that reveal themselves only upon close inspection. It is precisely for this reason that trend followers can only imitate them superficially.

References

This text was produced within the framework of the project Preparation of a Preliminary Technical Assessment for the Protection, Preservation, and Revitalization of the Paraćin Glassmaking Industry. The views, findings, and conclusions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Embassy of the United States of America.

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