Jerry Lin-Hsien Kung, Oakland-based
glass artist & fabricator
I'd like to introduce you to another talented Oakland local, Jerry Lin-Hsien Kung. Not only a very skilled glass artist and fabricator, Jerry is also quite a talker. As he said himself, if given the opportunity he will gladly chew your ear off discussing anything from the "systematic death of craft" to the weirdness of the internet. I was fortunate enough to lend him my ear when we met up at Subrosa Coffee on 40th in Oakland a couple weeks ago. In this interview, you'll learn more about the man who "blows bubbles" for a living and why he has continued to pursue what most people stop doing when they're five.
Brittany: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Jerry: Hmm.
I'm 37, a Leo... I studied at Rhode Island School of Design where I graduated with a
degree in glass sculpture. Before that I studied at Hampshire College for Latin
American Literature and Animal Behavior pertaining to the relationship between
wolves and sheep dogs. I graduated from art school in ’99. I was born in
Taipei, Taiwan. I’ve been making glass for all years after school. I received an
associate’s certification in CAD design a few years ago. I took a bunch of night
classes for that because I wanted to further explore industrial processes. This
led me to moonlight as a draftsman in the prototype department of a machine
shop.
Brittany: It seems like going from studying Latin
American literature and animal behavior to studying glass sculpture is an
unlikely transition. What sparked this switch?
Jerry: I
was one of those kids who went straight into college. I fumbled into
discovering what I do now. While taking time from Hampshire, I lived in
Providence, RI. I took some classes in Ceramics and the instructor happened to
be the department head. He invited me in. I saw glass and that was it.
Brittany: Have you always been interested in pursuing a
creative field?
Jerry: I
never had an inclination for one thing or the other till glass.
Brittany: How would you describe your artistic style?
Jerry: I'm
inspired by the characteristics of materials and the personal process of
discovering that nuance.
Brittany: Can you describe the process of creating a
new piece?
Jerry: Glass
blowing is based on motor skills as well a distinct understanding of heat.
Heat, saturation, and equilibrium. These are all the metadata for glass making.
Brittany: Is there a lot of thought and brainstorming
prior to making a piece or do you tend to wing it and see what develops?
Jerry: There
is a language I draw from. It comes from a palette of familiar characteristics
from making tens of thousands of bubbles. Having done this for 18 years, I see
the minute and the creations I make, whether that be sculptural or design,
departs from there. Think of it like building blocks or words or sentences. You
learn to express using the knowledge that you gain through experience. The
brainstorming is an internal conversation between what I see and what I've
noticed in the material.
Brittany: When creating pieces with Alexander Abajian,
fellow co-founder of FirePrint Studio, how are you able to communicate with
each other, while maintaining your own internal dialogue?
Jerry: We've
known each other for 14 years. We both went to the same school and started
Fireprint Studio together. That company is now defunct though we still do
collaborations. Our communication is based on our working history and the
custom fabrication we did for different artists and architects alike. While
figuring out how to make something, you expand your library of moves. We
developed a lot of solutions for other people and ourselves. It simply becomes
an act of material movement between two people guided by the same attention to
process. We both have our own businesses now. He is more about art and I'm
focusing on custom design fabrication.
A sampling of Jerry and Alexander Abajian’s contributions to “Creatures,” a joint exhibition held in August at Vessel Gallery in Oakland:
Brittany: As you’ve mentioned, in addition to being a
glass artist you’re also a fabricator. Can you tell us more about this?
Jerry: After
the recession hit, we split up the company. With the savings I took a
long-needed time away from art-making. I spent two years traveling, reading,
and being in nature. This was the thing that allowed me to move forward with
this fabrication company. I see that there is something missing in America…
industry. We hear it all the time. I felt really close to this topic because I
have been coming up with solutions for a different people for so long. I solved
the technical issues for the lighting in the de Young Museum's café and made
them. I realized that there was a need for a glass foundry as many people want
to restore their production but there are fewer and fewer fabricators in this
field. Most people want to keep an artist status. I'd rather redirect my fabrication
history and academic history to form a better fabrication while using new
technologies such as CAD. With that in mind, I wanted to offer limited-run
production services, much like a machine shop or metal shop, as well as
consultation. My teaching background makes it easy to explain things to
clients. There is an inherent problem with glass and other crafts. That being
how it’s perceived. If a sports star in the US is gifted, talented, or fast
(sport dependent), they are rewarded handsomely. If a skilled craftsman makes
something fast, then their product must be sold cheap. I'm trying to use my
company to help people understand that speed and efficiency only comes through
time and experience.
Brittany: You displayed a series of glass pieces at
Vessel Gallery in Oakland in August. What did patrons expect to see at this
exhibit?
Jerry: There
are a few pieces remaining at the gallery. But the main installation is now
down. They will experience the select work and I think they'll be taken back by
the scale and fluidity and literally be sucked into forms.
Brittany: Are there any materials you’d like to work
with that you haven’t already?
Jerry: Not
right now. I'm a jack-of-all-trades of sorts: welding, designing machines,
glass, drawing. I usually get pulled into a material if a project comes up, but
for now staying the course of my business is keeping me plenty busy. (I would
love to be CPR-certified!)
Brittany: How has living in Oakland influenced your
work?
Jerry: Oakland
is like the Wild West. There are so many things that are available to explore,
resources to utilize, and different cultures from all around. I think the
creatures installation had a lot to do with that. It was a large array of
silvered forms that opened August 3rd on First Friday. It was seen by hundreds
of people. They became the art installation while viewing it. I feel Oakland is
like that. You never know what you're going to see next, but can rest assured
in a few more minutes you'll see something equally or more over the top. The
creatures have a way of doing that in its curves. It creates a fun house effect.
Brittany: What have you learned from being a working
artist that you would never have anticipated as a student at RISD?
Jerry: Great
question. Things take time. Lots of it. I think art school instills god
complexes where you come out thinking you can do everything but then you start discovering
the once indelible education is second to reality and making things happen on
your own. Art school is not equal to business school. I hate the starving
artist stereotype. It ends up fueling itself at times.
Brittany: You’ve held a few glass demonstrations, recently
at Public Glass in San Francisco. Can you describe the experience of working in
front of an audience?
Jerry: Glass
blowing is like performance art. Its choreography is driven by both design and
process. I like working in front of audiences. It really lets them feel the
intensive conditions a glass studio is. It also lets people understand what
goes into making things by hand. It opens up real conversations for people to
explore the material.
Brittany: What can we expect to see from you in the
future?
Jerry: There
will be more creatures in the future as well as more design-based products. The
creatures will eventually be more about feeding balls where they are all
clustered into a sphere.
Learn more about Jerry in this
profile of the artist:
Keep up with Jerry’s work:
The first photo was taken by myself at Subrosa Coffee in Oakland, while the remainder were used with Jerry's permission.
