Stephen Brucker
Stephen Brucker Glass Art
Spring Rittenhouse 2025
My flameworked and sandblasted borosilicate (Pyrex) glass sculptures serve as a metaphor for my lived experience. By interpreting structures found in nature in the most delicate form the material will permit, I pursue conceptual themes signifying home, rebirth, memory, belonging, and protection. Materially, the works result from techniques that beget fragility, transparency, and impermanence. They create a perception of delicacy and frailness that often parallels common misconceptions about members of my community. Borosilicate is an exceptionally strong glass that resists thermal shock and allows for fine detail. Metaphorically, this material is a signifier for the way I view myself. My work, much like my community, appears delicate. However, by design, there is an unseen strength and durability that belies its aesthetic appearance.