 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Erika Von Zoog received her BA in Architecture with highest honors from UC Berkeley in 1994. Her first exposure to the world of glass was through a prominent glass studio in the Napa Valley that specializes in large-scale architectural installations. During her three year stay there, she contributed to art glass installations worldwide. In 1998, she left Napa to join her future husband, Scott Zoog, full time at their live/work studio in Benicia. Together at Studio 113 they have created art glass installations, public art proposals, custom sinks and lighting, and an ever evolving line of elegant tableware. This line has been Erika’s main focus for the last three years, supplying such distinct retailers as Dean & Deluca in St. Helena, CA; Twig Gallery in San Francisco, CA; Walker Lansing in Palm Beach, FL; and most recently, Tetsubin Tea Company in Nyack, NY, to name a few. Like many other glass artists, Scott and Erika developed their style by experimenting with metals that could be fired between layers of glass. Erika recalls their initial discoveries: “Scott was working on a commission with Daniel Winterich, laminating wire cloth between layers of tempered glass. It was an intense and messy process. At some point Scott wondered, ‘jeez, what would happen if I just fused it in there.’ When that succeeded, we decided to slump it into a bowl to give to Daniel. From there, it was a short mental jump to other metals and our entire line began to develop in leaps and bounds. We discovered that copper and brass were soft enough to work with the glass, whereas stainless steel would fight against the glass and crack it to pieces from within. Now there are a handful of studios doing similar combinations of kilnformed glass and metal, allowing the natural patterns of the metals to create the drama of the piece. I have no doubt that each studio made their discoveries more or less independently, yet as part of a mass consciousness of the evolution of kilnformed glass. This gives collectors an opportunity to mix and match from a variety of shapes and styles that will work well together.” Metals fused between glass produce a palette of earthy colors and textures. Recycled elements such as "used" steel wool, metal shavings, aluminum and radiator fins can be found in their more experimental pieces. Through the heat of the kilnforming process, the encased elements often change colors or partially burn away, and as air escapes from between the layers, it creates intricate patterns of trapped air bubbles and wrinkles in the metal. Erika continues to refine and add pieces to the tableware line each year, such as this year’s new series of trays and dishes accented with short horizontal stripes of dichroic glass. Her roots in architecture are never far behind: "I see the development of each piece in the line as an exercise in composition, proportion and graceful functionality." |
|||
| erika@studio113.com Back to Vision |
|||
|
|
|
 |
||
Portfolio |
||