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Shane Fero — Man of Fire By Marcie Davis

Shane Fero is a mystical man of fire! His sophisticated blown glass forms delight and inspire the viewer. He creates his art by manipulating molten glass rods and tubes at a torch, a technique known as flameworking.” Swirling patterns are produced as he applies shards, crushed glass frits, and colored powders to the base layer of clear tubing. The themes apparent in his work exemplify his personal interest in mythology, philosophy and psychology.

Fero is quite debonair in a down-home sort of way. Stick around a few minutes, however, and a devilishly mischievous laugh will escape his lips, and you'll know you are in the presence of a wickedly spirited artist! His sophisticated color palette is created by rolling the molten mass in subsequent layers of powdered glass. Sometimes acid is applied to the completed vessel if a matte finish is desired. It is the sculptural figures atop his stoppers, however, that are Shane's well-known signature. Surrealistic in nature, striking in silhouette, these figures are reminiscent of Picasso in style, (although more favorable to women!)

Says Fero, “My work could be described as colorful, serious, FUN!” When you observe the dynamic shapes he constructs at the base of his vessels, you’ll see that they rebelliously defy roundness. Fero pulls angular extensions from the usually round “foot,” and these work wondrously well with the angular figures in his stoppers.

Describing his departure from time honored conventions, Fero says, "For most of my career, I conformed to the tradition whereby you try to achieve symmetry and balance. You want pieces to be symmetrical in their traditional forms. I think that over a period of years, I just got sick of symmetry, and thought, 'Well, why don't we take this vessel thing and make it a sculptural aspect?' Then the form begins and ends with the base and the top in a kind of free-form sort of a format." His artistry stems from the Florida flamework tradition, begun by a few well-established carnival families who eventually settled in the Sunshine State. Jerry and Lee Coker, who provided much of his early training, are still alive, but many of his early mentors are gone. There was a congenial camaraderie among the old-timers, and they trained a handful of "youngsters" like Shane, who grew beyond flameworking's side-show origins and became prominent luminaries in the art world.

Now Shane makes his home near Asheville, North Carolina, as a resident artist at the famed Penland School of Crafts. He has served as an instructor there numerous times, as well as teaching at Pilchuck Glass School, The Corning Museum of Glass, Urbanglass, Pratt Fine Art Center, and the Bild-Werk school in Frauenau, Germany, among others. Fero’s work is currently on display at Glass River Gallery in Dunnellon. For more information call 352.465.6555 or visit www.glassrivergallery.net. Glass River Gallery will also feature a special show in March 2009 with a personal appearance by Shane Fero.