Tony Serviente
Serviente Glass Studios
Ithica, NY
I try to keep a sense of silence in the work while honoring the light that surrounds us all. I am inspired by the grand wonders of the cosmos, as well as the pedestrian occurrences that fill my day.
I was born in 1956 in the Wonder Bread suburbs of NJ. Allen Ginsberg’s Howl was being read in coffee houses in Greenwich Village and the broken-toothed skyline of New York City was my eastern view. On a hot summer night, I could almost hear the jazz blowing across the Hudson River. I steeped in this potent liquor for 18 years then got on a Greyhound bus. The trip hasn’t ended.
I have always liked to be busy, and glass has been receptive to my caffeinated activities. My vitreous explorations began 23 years ago with stained glass. I built windows and lamps and taught classes of all ages and levels. In 1990 I spent a summer at the Pilchuck glass school and learned many new techniques, among them kiln and torch work, neon and glass blowing. I got back to my studio and immediately changed direction, focusing on the more arcane aspects of kiln forming. This continues to be my focus though I still teach, learn and maintain an active stained glass studio. My background as an electronics technician has contributed to the skills I need in the endeavor including equipment fabrication, precise record keeping and an experimental approach to problem-solving.
In my work, the creative spirit must have a friend in the scientific mind, so I am always trying to cultivate both. My designs are informed by my beliefs as a Quaker. I try to keep a sense of silence in the work while honoring the light that surrounds us all. I am inspired by the grand wonders of the cosmos, as well as the pedestrian occurrences that fill my day.
