|
|
Summa creates the swirling lines of color, intricate "dragon" coils, complex helix formations and other interior patterns from molten glass that he makes himself. Working from the inside out, he creates the inner-most formations first, then adds concentric layers of crystal, iridescent and colored glass. He often cuts and polishes facets through which the interior forms are revealed and reflected.
In addition to his artistic talent, Summa is a superb glass chemist and engineer. He batches all of his own glass, creating a palette of colors using various metallic oxides which are mixed into the molten glass. He uses silver nitrate in many of his colors to create ever changing hues within each color.
The distinctive artistic quality of Summa’s work has many influences. He has lived in Germany, Turkey, India and various parts of the U. S. After studying ceramics at California’s Monterey Peninsula College, he began working with glass in 1972. In 1974 he established his own studio in a remote area north of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Summa’s works have been shown at major galleries and museums throughout the United States, including the Wichita Art Museum, Corning Museum of Glass and the Portland Museum of Art (permanent collection)
|
