Rob Snyder: Artist Statement & Biography
Artist Statement
Approach
Making art is a direct reflection of my journey through life. My approach is centered in letting go of preconceived notions of both process and outcome. This requires a quiet yet playful frame of mind, allowing me to create without questioning direction. It is a slow unveiling of form out of chaos and spaciousness—allowing enough stillness in mind, and then saying yes to what appears. The Sufi poet, Rumi, eloquently speaks of this as being played like a hollow reed.
This approach is supported by the beauty and solitude I experience living on Vashon Island. In a paradise of woods, gardens, streams, and sea—a place far removed from the hustle and bustle of contemporary life—I find the quiet pulse of life revealing her self.
Concepts and Medium
Conceptually my art weaves stories relating to essence and matter, chaos and form, fragility of nature, and the developing human spirit. I see everything as a dance of life; everything in constant motion, transforming and evolving in a universal flow of upward movement. This is seen in both the natural world, and in human consciousness. Patterns in life will always collapse if they are not supported by an upward movement. Nature does this so eloquently; we as humans, a bit more clumsily. But nevertheless, we are constantly moving and evolving, manifesting from the unknown—bringing forth form out of the formless.
Currently, I am focused on a kiln glass casting process that allows me to create final art pieces from multiple small-scale castings. These “constellations” have an installation quality and scale; they explore ideas around chaos and form, and focus on humans’ relationship to nature. I stack small glass pieces molded from tree branches; the piles depict the upward and transformative universal movement— creating intentional and precarious forms. Glass is the perfect vehicle and medium. It is able to express the emergent forms in their complete and vulnerable essence; solid and translucent, resilient and fragile.
Our Times
As a planetary community we are becoming increasingly aware of our natural world, our human potential, and the inseparable connection between the two. I believe we are moving toward a new way of experiencing reality; a reality giving weight to expanded ecological and transpersonal awareness, leading to new paradigms of expression. My art is an illumination and expression of this new reality, and so is the vision of Steppingstone.
The vision of Steppingstone emerges from this universal flow of upward movement and inevitable transformation. It is about creating a vibrant and supportive crucible for great art—an intimate environment inspired by intentional space, personal and transpersonal inquiry, community, nature, and new paradigms of planetary potential.
Narrative Biography
Rob Snyder, a Northwest native, is an accomplished glass artist living and operating his studio on Vashon Island, Washington. Rob’s unique work from kiln cast glass has been nationally recognized in solo exhibitions, museums, private and corporate collections, group shows, and various publications. Creating art for nearly thirty years, Rob was an early pioneer in the glass fusing movement. Over the years he has made important contributions as an artist, designer and builder of glass equipment, assistant to notable fine artists, glass technician, and teacher.
Rob’s career began in 1975 at the Bullseye Glass Company, a small glass studio in Portland, Oregon. The company produced hand-made sheets of glass for the stained-glass industry. Working with notable glass legend Daniel Schoewer, Rob eventually became both a designer and fabricator of glass furnaces, ovens, and glass-making machines. During this time period, he also began making art with glass which inspired him to create a glass blowing co-op in Portland. In 1980, Rob and others at Bullseye began addressing the industry’s technical challenges with fusing glass. Largely influenced by Rob’s work, a new glass fusing movement began. Rob’s time at Bullsesye served as his foundation in glass, both as a technician and artist.
By 1984, Rob had showed his own art at the Traver Sutton Gallery in Seattle, and has also become involved with the renowned Pilchuck Glass School. He moved to Seattle in 1987 to be part of the thriving glass community. While his focus would become increasingly directed on making art, the expertise gained at Bullseye had launched his career as a notable designer and fabricator of glass equipment for prominent artists and schools including Dale Chihuly, The Pilchuck Glass School, Benjamin Moore, Brian Rabino, James Nowak, and others.
Over several years in the Seattle community, Rob continued to grow. While at Pilchuck Glass School he served as a student, staff person, emerging artist, and equipment vendor. He studied with Klaus Moje, Bertile Valline, and was exposed to many other notable glass legends and visiting fine artists. Working as an assistant for Douglas Hanson and Nancy Mee, Rob was exposed to a variety of creative processes; he worked with large-scale architectural installations and with bodies of work for solo shows. Working for Linda Farris Gallery, he was responsible for layout and show installations, providing experience in displaying art and connecting him to local and international artists. Rob also worked as an art teacher at the Bush School where he explored his ability to communicate and facilitate the language of art.
Underlying his various assistant positions, studies, and teaching was his commitment to making his own art; this included exploring mediums such as wood, plaster, steel, and paint. In 1990, his first solo exhibition was staged at the King County Arts Council. His second solo show was held in 1994 at the White Bird Gallery in Cannon Beach, Oregon, and that same year his work was included in a group show at the Museum of American Folk Art in New York. A series of other shows followed.
Since 2004, Rob’s growth as an artist and person has flourished. One significant influencer was guidance from the late, Seattle glass legend Don Foster. Another catalyst was Rob’s move to Vashon Island where he has dedicated these last years to his kiln glass casting process and to working with objects in nature.
In addition to numerous group showings, Rob has held solo shows at Habatat Galleries Chicago and at William Traver Gallery Tacoma. He has also participated annually in Habatat’s prestigious International Invitational Show. In 2007, his work was shown at The Museum of Northwest Art and The Midland Art Museum.
Currently, Rob is working on a large commission for a private collector and on several other pieces. Rob is represented by Habatat Galleries Michigan, Habatat Galleries Chicago, William Traver Gallery Tacoma, and Imago Galleries, Palm Desert, California. In 2008, he will be participating in the Habatat International Invitational, and will also be holding a solo show at the William Traver Gallery. In addition, Rob is expanding his gallery representation both nationally and internationally. To meet the growing demands for his art, he is undertaking the creation of Steppingstone, an artist residency program on his property on Vashon Island.
RESUME
ROB SNYDER
Born: April 13, 1957 Portland, Oregon, USA
EDUCATION
1989-1991 Evergreen State College Olympia, Washington
1987 Seattle Central College Seattle, Washington
1980 Museum Art School Portland, Oregon
MUSEUM SHOWS
2007 Midland Museum, Midland, Michigan
2007 Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, Washington
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2007 Rivers, Pools, Piles and More Convenient Truths,
Habatat Gallery Chicago, Chicago, IL
2006 Convenient Truths: Formally Titled Aesthetics of Chaos, William Traver Gallery, Tacoma, WA
1994 Yard Art, White Bird Gallery, Cannon Beach, OR
1990 Broken Voices on Green, King County Arts Commission, Seattle, WA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2007 Imago Gallery, Palm Desert, CA
2007 Scaled, Habatat Gallery, Birmingham, MI
2007 Habatat Invitational 34, Habatat Gallery, Birmingham, MI
2006 Habatat Invitational 33, Habatat Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
2006 Making Sense, Robert Lehman Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2005 SOFA, Habatat Gallery Detroit, Birmingham, Michigan
2005 Habatat Invitational 32, Habatat Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
2005 Habatat Gallery DetroitBirmingham, Michigan
2004 SOFA, Habatat Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
2004 Habatat Invitational 31, Habatat Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan
1997 Gallery 500, Elkins Parks, Pennsylvania
1997 A Gallery, Palm Desert, California
1997 Concepts Gallery, Carmel, California
1997 Gallery 8, La Jolla, California
1996 Marilyn Wilson Gallery, Birmingham, Alabama
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS CONTINUED
1996 Nancy Sachs Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri
1996 Scottsdale Cultural Center, Scottsdale, Arizona
1995 Mindscape Gallery, Evanston, Illinois
1995 American Crafts, Cleveland, Ohio
1995 Museum of American Folk Art, New York, New York
1995 Linda Farris Gallery, Seattle, Washington
1994 Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Portland, Oregon
1994 Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis, Missourri
1994 Linda Farris Gallery, Seattle, Washington
1987 Pratt Fine Arts Center, Seattle, Washington
1986 Pratt Fine Arts Center , Seattle, Washington
1985 Traver Sutton Gallery, Seattle, Washington
1984 Traver Sutton Gallery, Seattle, Washington
1984 Pilchuck Glass School Auction, Seattle, Washington
CORPORATE COLLECTIONS
Marcato Tacoma, Washington
Kaiser-Permanente Baltimore, Maryland
COMMISSIONS/PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
2007 “tower” , Bob and Sandy Kolitz, San Antonio Texas
2007 “Constellation”, Dick and Christina Heidrich, Birmingham, Michigan
2006 “Circle Constellation”, William and Angela Kennedy Sammamish, Washington
2005 “Thought Constellation”, David and Heidi Fausenfest, Detroit, Michigan
2004 “Wave”, Jinny Curatolo, Algonac, Michigan
2000 “Hope”, Compass Center, Seattle, Washington
1983 “Gateway”, Gail Davis, Portland, Oregon
1977 “Fence”, Boyce Lundstrom, Portland , Oregon
PUBLICATIONS
2007 “Nest”, New Glass Review 28, pp 48, The Corning Museum of Glass
2006 The 34th Annual Habatat International Glass Invitational, pp79
2006 “Science, Nature Captured in Glass at Gallery”, September 21, 2006, pp D3, by Dave Davison, Tacoma Weekly
2005 The 33rd Annual Habatat International Invitational, pp 73
2000 “The Compass Center”, July 14, 200, by Mark Hinshaw, The Seattle Times
1996 “Cheap, Cheap, (not!)”, April 23, 1996, pp F1, by Sherry Stripling, The Seattle Times
1993 “Fair Fans Find a lot to Like”, July 23, 1993, pp1, by Liz Enbysk, Journal America
1982 Glass Studio #24, Cover Photo