AACG - Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass

Susan Gott

Artist Statement:

My work embodies an interest in mythological imagery, symbolism, and philosophies from historic and ancient cultures. I find inspiration in symbols of ritual art, myths, and how they connect us, most deeply, with our own nature and our place in today’s world. The resulting glass, with primitive qualities and metaphors, are a visual representation of the cycles of life. The archetypal images that emerge explore spirituality, existence, humor, love, magic, dualities, and the beauty of life. The human form is a vessel for my connection to Spirit. The elements of this ancient, visual language have become enmeshed in my thought and in my art as I create a new contemporary mythos in glass.

The casting process is intense and involves ladling the molten glass directly from the furnace at 2300° F. Timing, temperature, and teamwork must flow together like a dance. I frequently work with rigid sand-mold and graphite casting techniques. These allow detail yet the ability to work on a large scale. The interior images, symbols, inclusions, and color are manipulated into the glass before it cools. Combining glass with copper, steel, and stone brings yet another natural element to the sculpture. Sand casting combines my aesthetic concerns and allows an articulate yet raw method of expressing this ancient connection to the contemporary.

About Susan Gott

Susan Gott has worked as an artist utilizing glass as her primary media for most of her life and specializes in cast glass to create one-of-a-kind sculptures and large-scale public art. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in glass from Kent State University, a bachelor’s degree from Radford University, and studied glass at Pilchuck, Haystack, Arrowmont, and Penland. She is the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including an American Craft Council Award of Excellence, Crafts Woman of the Year, Individual Artist Fellowship, New Forms Florida, and Craftswoman of the Year.

She built and works from her own studio in Tampa Florida. She has taught casting at the Corning Museum studio and will be teaching at The Glass Furnace in Istanbul, Turkey in 2024. Currently, Gott has work exhibited in the International Biennale of Glass in Bulgaria and recently exhibited at the American Embassy in Guatemala. Susan’s work can be found in major museums and in numerous private and corporate collections including; Tacoma Museum of Glass, Raymond James Financial, Tampa General Hospital, The St. Pete Museum, The Polk Museum of Art, Alexander Brest Museum, and Cafesjian Museum of Art in Armenia. Her work is published in New Glass Review, Glass Art 2000, Glass Art Magazine, Sunshine Artist, and American Craft.

Gott has created large scale public art works using cast glass bas-relief panels, lighting, fountains, seating, combining steel and stone. Her large-scale sculptures are included in the public collections of the City of Tampa, Port St. Lucie, University of Central Florida, Port Tampa Library, The City of St. Petersburg, and HARTline Transit Center.

Acknowledgment of Gallery:
We are grateful to Onessimo Fine Art, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for providing the Artist of the Month.