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Scott Benefield

Scott Benefield Glassblower
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Continuing an age-old conversation

  • • Scott is inspired by Venetian glass traditions and cane work
  • • He began his career at a stained glass studio in Washington DC
  • • He always works in dialogue with the past

Scott Benefield remembers being struck by the quality of transmitted light through coloured glass as a child. Glassblowing later appealed to Scott as a career because it presented a challenge to different parts of his intelligence and personality. He has a very concrete notion that he exists in a continuum of makers that stretches back to the Renaissance and the beginnings of glass cane techniques. To participate in that tradition, he says, you have to first know and appreciate its history and then somehow find a way to add to the conversation that is taking place.

Read the full interview

Works

  • © David Pauley
  • © David Pauley
  • © Scott Benefield
  • © David Pauley
  • © Scott Benefield
Photo: © David Pauley
Lattimo Mosaico

This group of four deliberately symmetrical glass objects was made by collaging white cane patterns together to make a mosaic surface before blowing into their final form. Scott has chosen a theme – the use of the same technique – and played with it to create four distinct variations in size and shape, with four very different openings, altering the purpose of the vessels.

Height 38 cm

Photo: © David Pauley
Ocean series

Scott has worked with a particular technique to create a variation of three radially symmetrical objects with mottled blue and green transparent glass, overlaid with freely drawn thin cane trails.

Height 30 cm

Photo: © Scott Benefield
Deadlock

This sculptural object was constructed from blown-glass elements of many colours, with fine black lines. The object seems to mimic the traits of everyday tableware but is not itself intended to be functional.

Height 19 cm
Width 24 cm
Diameter 17 cm

Photo: © David Pauley
Vetro Mosaico

This symmetrical vessel, oval at its cross section, was made by tiling together murrine made from layers of coloured sheets of glass. The result is a mosaic-like appearance.

Height 30 cm
Width 25 cm
Diameter 10 cm

Photo: © Scott Benefield
Pinwheel series

These three radially symmetrical vessels were made using cane techniques on transparent glass of various colours. The glass and the patterns are reminiscent of those seen on contemporary church windows.

Height 30 cm

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