Issue 40 December 2022

COVERSPO

By Heath E. Toker

By Kevin Dankman

By Kevin Dankman

STAY GLASSY, MY FRIENDS

By Heath E. Toker

An open letter to the shops and galleries out there in the world.

To you, the front line of the industry, counter person, almighty CLERK! Your continued use of the sacred herb is much appreciated. No matter how the matter is consumed, we thank you.

My first smoking experience was out of an air filler head for the compressor at a gas station. I didn't ask where my Dad got it or why he decided it would make a good pipe, but you could smoke out of it.

The following year my friend had a "bong" Pretty sure he made it in his mom's ceramic shop. It was possibly toxic as it seemed to grow mold in the pores of the ceramic.

When I started smoking my own herb, it was papers or the brass pipe I purchased at Crazy Gifts. They all tasted NASTY! Yes, all capitals type NASTY. Then by the grace of the grateful dead gods, I met Brian. He was a head fresh off tour from the west coast. When I produced my nasty resonated metal pipe with half the chrome worn off, he immediately said, NO, quite emphatically.

Photo by Grav on Unsplash

STAY GLASSY, MY FRIENDS

Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

STAY GLASSY, MY FRIENDS

I have often heard the term "gassing off" in this conversation. What is the gassing off of metals and chromium? Do we get it hot enough to do it? I am no scientist, but a lighter isn't that hot.

I do not have the answer. I do know borosilicate glass does not produce gas off at those temperatures. I know from experience that they are better tasting and seemingly cleaner. For the longest time, it was considered the cleanest way to smoke.

It's 2022; we smoke out of metal and plastic vapes with ceramic, titanium, and many more materials that are within all the e-rigs and vape pens of today.

I have the same complaint I had about my old metal pipe. What am I really smoking, and what is that weird taste?

I won't go as far as stating any health benefits or detractions about other devices. The FDA does that enough. But,

from my educated and purely personal experiences, glass is the easiest, best-tasting, most consistent way to smoke. It also has one huge advantage: fire doesn't have a battery and most likely won't explode in your pocket.

This was really just a thought about the things we put in our lungs. No matter how we do it. Glass is and always will be available as an exemplary clean smoking apparatus.

Photo by Grav on Unsplash

GLASS OF

Interview with RAM | Daytona 2022

By Kevin Dankman

RAM, Robert Mickelsen, has been an ever-present part of the glass art world. RAM has been exhibiting his fine art pieces in Galleries worldwide for decades. It was only in the latter part of his career did he find joy and inspiration working with pipe makers from around the globe.

We here at CHAMPS Show Magazine were able to get an inside look into what makes RAM keep climbing the mountains of glass art.

Ram, my first question is, Of all the pieces you made, functional or not, what is your personal favorite solo creation? Tell us a little about it, When, where, and why?

RAM: If I had to pick one, it would be the Network Parasol I made back in 2009. It was during my most prolific networking period that I came up with the idea of a parasol. Parasols actually precede umbrellas and were originally meant to ward off sunshine, not rain. My glass parasol was also designed to deal directly with light, but in this case, capturing the light and creating a shadow that mimics the lacework pattern of the glass. The piece was meant to be displayed as if it were just set aside carelessly by its user, resting upside down on its top, still fully opened. Thus deployed, it still manipu lates the light as it was intended, copying itself in its shadow and inviting the viewer to ponder how it came to be there. The form calls to mind a bowl, appearing to function more as a container than a shield, and in this contradiction, it reveals its secret - that it is not a parasol at all but a light-capturing vessel.

Collaborative art is a big part of the Glass Community. Some of my all-time favorites have been your collaborations on the “Art of War” Project.

“Network Parasol” - solo sculpture from 2009.

“Intergalactical Tactical” - collab with Darby in 2014.

Photos by RAM

Interview with RAM | Daytona 2022

RAM: Well the “Art of War” project with Subliminal Glass does rank among my very favorites. So does the earlier “Elements” weapons collab with them. But there are so many other memorable collaborations that I really cannot just land on one. So here are a few of my favorites. The “Bacteriobot” with Banjo. “Elementia” and “Lemon Phaser” with Eusheen. “Galactical Tactical” with Darby. “Ganjaraffe” with Buck. And “Andromeda” with my shop mates Ryder, Smiffglass, and Villianglass. There are many more, but those are my favorites.

I have talked to a few other “old school” glass blowers over the year, Your name often pops up in some of the stories from the good ole days.

What is your Favorite Collaboration you have worked on in the glass industry?

“Andromeda” - collab with studio mates Smi glass, Ryderglass , and Villianglass in 2018.

“Art of War - Egyptian AK47” - collab with Subliminal crew and my crew in 2019.

“Bacteriobot” - collab with Banjo in 2014.

Interview with RAM | Daytona 2022

What was it like in the early years at the glass gatherings?

RAM: I guess it depends on what you mean by early years. Remember, I am *old*. I started 50 years ago in the early 70’s. There were no “gatherings” back that far. I started attending GAS (Glass Art Society) conferences in the early 90’s and they really allowed me to connect with other glass artists in a way that I never had before. The problem was that GAS at that time was almost exclusively geared to furnace glass blowing and casting because flameworking was not thought of as “art”. That changed over time of course. But those early conferences opened my eyes to how I and my medium fit in with the larger glass community. I saw that we flameworkers were just as important as any other glass artists. Later, in 1998, I was elected to the Board of Directors of GAS and served for six years eventually becoming the treasurer and then vice-president. During that time I worked to elevate the status of flameworking at GAS conferences in demos and presentations. It was some of the most rewarding work I have ever done.

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“Four Elements - Earth” - collab with Subliminal crew and my crew in 2018.

“Art of War - Shogun” - collab with Subliminal crew and my crew in 2019.

“Four Elements - Fire” - collab with Subliminal crew and my crew in 2018.

“Gangara e” - collab with Buck in 2013

Interview with RAM Daytona 2022

Now lets time travel to the current world of your art. You have been posting some very elegant and colorful pieces lately. Is there a new body of work coming soon to follow up on the Art of War Project?

RAM: There is always something new coming into my head. My problem is that I cannot work fast enough to keep up. Right now I am interested in re-imagining the pipe form and breaking out of what I see as a kind of design stagnation. Everything is 8” tall! I would love to see a return to the wide-open designs we saw ten years ago. Bring back big glass! I have some new designs that break out of that 8” box without compromising function. I will have a few of these at the Daytona show.

I know, I know, the next one is such a silly question, I just think it is something that people might enjoy knowing. I have asked everyone this question, even musical artists and professional athletes, if you had the option to have anything you want for breakfast, what would you order?

RAM: Hmm. It’s tempting to make a snarky R-rated comment here, but I will refrain. My choice would be eggs benedict.

Hugh Salkind had a question: “Where do you think the pipe industry is going, and what do you see as its future?”

RAM: People. There are a number of artists who bear watching that I think are breaking the mold and will set the standard for the future. Keep an eye on Ryan Jenkins, Adam Whobrey, David Colton, Scotty Mickle, Patrick McDougal, Elissa Newmeyer, and Lacey Walton just to name a few off the top of my head. The future will break new ground and improve on everything that has come before. There are new amazing artists coming up every day.

“Post Apocalyptical Ri e” - collab with Snic in 2016.

“Victrola” - solo sculpture from 2014.

“Wahine” - solo sculpture from 2008. She is life-size.

“Lemon Phaser” - collab with Eusheen in 2014.

“Art of War - Aztec M 60” - collab with Subliminal crew and my crew started in 2019 and just completed.

Interview with RAM | Daytona 2022

So for our last question, what is a jewel of knowledge you think all up-and-coming glass artists should know?

RAM: Do not worry about the dynamics of the glass pipe market. It will go up and down. It is currently on a down cycle, but it will come up again before too long. I have been through many of these cycles. Focus instead on making great work and being the best artist and version of yourself you are capable of being. Nothing else matters. Work hard and play harder. Don’t be afraid to break things. Don’t shy away from controversy. Live and work dangerously. Get used to cuts and burns and bruises. Embrace frustration. Sweat. Swear. Swagger. And remember, learning and teaching are the same thing. Oh, and give your elders a break now and then. We won’t be around much longer.

“Dreams and Secrets” - solo sculptural pipe just recently completed. Will be at show.

“The Antelopian” - solo sculptural pipe just recently completed. Will be at show.

“Elementia” - collab with Eusheen in 2013.

The Holidazed Santa Story

By Kevin Dankman Illustrations by Sean Dietrich

Santa is round, jolly, and giving. A gentle, loving magician that goes to every home in the world in one night, yet it takes a regular traveler 12 hours to go anywhere. Is there a TSA at the north pole? Honestly, with batteries exploding, tracking devices, and all the things modern tech brings, how can he go so fast and far into so many homes? That is to say, modern physics seems to say that this possibility is truly MAGIC.

The Holidazed Santa Story

We leave him cookies and Milk for what fuel? He kisses everyone's mom, Was he the source of covid? I can already hear it on the radio… "I saw mommy kissing Covid Clause underneath the mistletoe last night" might be a popular new song. I always thought he needed a new, more edgy media push. Like a renewal and rebirth of a classic. A slender business tycoon type with fair hair and dressed tidily. Brooks Brothers shoes and designer jackets.

The Holidazed Santa Story

He would have an MBA in Business, a Ph.D. in engineering, and be the founder of the latest technology, the Santa Gram Gun moves objects from one place to another without actually physically moving them.

1. Find a clear and registered Santa pad to land your object (usually under a tree)

2. Point the gun at the non-living matter.

3. Depress trigger

4. Wait for the subject to appear at the final destination.

Like WonkaVision, it has a glitch, but it won't send mammals, fish, or reptiles. But, again, this is because the gun has zero effectiveness ratings for significant living things.

The Holidazed Santa Story

Small bugs are a danger. Unfortunately, most bugs with hard exoskeletons make it through the teleportation and have been sent maliciously to homes… A lady in Australia was inundated with a swarm of rather nasty scorpions. She barely lived through the ordeal.

The North pool is a massive eco-friendly Factory Complex made to sustain small or large populations. The elves are all built on-site using the technology from the elders, like Microsoft, Sony, and Apple. Robots that look so human you wonder if they are living amongst us as humans. They are creepy and unsettling to most. At the North Pole, their excessively hot mechanics are kept cool and operate smoothly.

The Holidazed Santa Story

They tried using them in Arizona with a bad result. The robots actually spontaneously burst into flames. Amazingly, the world has evolved these hundred years since the great Mars migration.

The history is dim to most; they don't remember what it was like. Evolution has changed society. People have learned to live in ways unthought of. Technology will continue to leap bounds in the coming years. Will we make the same mistakes our forefathers made? Let's hope not.

In the year 2420, a new and viable population on Earth and Mars will be listed in the history books. They have mutated into their species… Earthlings and Martians do exist in this world. They are the same, yet different. They both share gifts thanks to Santa and his Santa Gram Gun.