Artist Dylan Martinez combines several glassblowing and sculpting techniques to form these hyper-realistic plastic bags from molten glass. Through these works, Martinez creates scenarios that obscure the viewer’s interpretation of reality and illusion. Driven by a deep curiosity in perception, Martinez creates these unique sculptures that convince the eye that the sculptures are just as they appear, plastic bags filled with water. Dylan’s art often examines the boundaries of human perception. His work challenges the viewer’s expectations through the manipulation of light, space, and the optical properties of glass. While influenced by traditional techniques in glassmaking, he constantly strives to discover novel approaches to exploit the material and create a lens to view the world afresh.
Through Dylan’s artwork, the artist creates scenarios in which the viewer must question their capacity to navigate between reality and illusion. His curiosity of perception is driven by the fact that he is red-green colourblind. Having a deficit in his colour vision is an alternative way of seeing things. Inspired by Trompe L’oeil (an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion), these pieces are made entirely out of hot glass while it is between 650-1150 degrees, which is then appearing as plastic bags of water. The trapped movement of the rising bubbles and the gesture of the forms convince the eye that the sculptures are just as they seem. What is fascinating is that our desires often override our true perception of reality and you believe what you think is visible as the truth.
Dylan Martinez earned his MFA in Glass at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. He has studied with master craftsman across the U.S. and abroad. Most recently Dylan completed a month-long residency working with Venetian glass masters in Murano, Italy. His sculptures are sought after internationally with exhibitions in the United States, Italy, France, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Taiwan, and Singapore. His artwork has been featured in several publications such as Elle Decoration UK, American Craft Magazine, Interior Design Magazine, and Aesthetica Magazine to name a few.
