from the artist studio:
tall. These pieces were more than a year in the making, involving research, experimentation and problem solving at nearly every step along the journey. But A CONVERSATION WITH seth fairweather staying until they'd throw me out at midnight, that I hadn't really been that enthusiastic about anything else." Even though he was almost instantly Seth wouldn’t have it any other way. "These new stacked pieces
seth
was pre-med with no interest in art until a program
requirement forced him into an art class. He chose glass blowing and the rest is history. Seth Fairweather is equal parts artist and solutionist. In fact, he’s crafted his occupation around solving puzzles. But these are no ordinary puzzles. Instead of the typical jigsaw-cut cardboard, Seth uses materials that are far more challenging: glass, metal and bronze. But the thrill of a challenge is a big part of what fuels this talented sculpture artist to continually test new concepts and push the boundaries of what’s been done before. “It’s about chasing that high of solving the problem and figuring out how to do something,” he said. “It’s not just figuring out how to do something that I haven't figured out and someone else has. It’s figuring out something that no one else has done.” And this is what led to one of his most ambitious projects to date: stacked-glass sculptures that tower well above 10 feet "It’s about chasing that high of solving the problem and figuring out how to do something."
were about a year and a half of research and development, and experimenting––building something and then saying, ‘This isn't good enough,’ and throwing it away,” Seth said. “Then refining and troubleshooting. Then figuring out how to move them and how to install them safely. These were the hardest things I've taken on so far.” In addition to his penchant for problem solving, Seth also loves the chemistry, physics and science behind what he does. Given his background as a pre- med student, it’s easy to see how science and anatomy influence his work. An accidental u-turn “I was pre-med before I got into art,” Seth said. “I had an art requirement I had to get out of the way when I was in school and I took glassblowing and just never wanted to do anything else. I realized when I was breaking into the studio to work at 3 o'clock in the morning and
Stacked glass sculptures by Seth Fairweather
Issue 3 | Winter 2023
Page 10
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