Featured Artist: Rob Raeside

Visit the Craft Ontario Shop to see a feature on glass artist Rob Raeside, August 1st- 18th!

Hamilton-based glass artist Rob Raeside has worked with the medium for 9 years. He has studied both at Sir Sanford Fleming College and Sheridan College. In his second year of studies at Sheridan, he received the Silent Night award. His dedication to the material has allowed him to work for Canadian glass artists such as Andy Kuntz, Paula Vandermey, Sally McCubbin, Maciej Dyszkiewicz, as well as a full time production artist for Alexi and Mariel Hunter. Rob’s work is driven by the inherent complexities of what appears to be simple, and the constant desire to refine his technique.

See a selection of Rob Raeside's work.

ARTIST STATEMENT

“Subtlety, simplicity and a love of the making process are the driving forces in my work. I am constantly striving to improve my eye for design and my hand for glass. I aim to attach value to objects through careful craftsmanship and design. I believe the first impression to be the most impacting element. The first viewing is the one that attracts or repels you to anything; so if you don’t find the work appealing without an explanation, why bring it into your home? 

While my work is often described as sculptural, I personally reject this characterization. Sculptural art generally tends to have the connotation of expressing a narrative, something that is not presently my goal. I prefer to classify my work as decorative as it is not trying to convey a message to the viewer. Instead of asking the viewer to contemplate a specific theme, I prefer to allow the audience to explore their own ideas and reactions in response to viewing my work.“

SUMMA SERIES

“The Summa Series is my own personal exploration of how forms interact with one another. Originally inspired by functional glassware such as whiskey decanters and perfume bottles, the Summa series takes those objects and pares them down into mere suggestions of their former functions. From here, I then experiment with further transformations by uniting shapes together. As the series evolves, I have found that some pieces have become more complex while others have simplified.”