AACG - Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass

Tom Marosz

Artist Statement:

My art is the culmination of some of the best and worst times of my life, combined with the mastery of skills, of craft, and the attempt to manipulate light in ways that no one expects.  My fascination with light has been a lifelong thing that is evident in every piece I make.  When I start a new piece, my desire is to control the light, and therefore the appearance of the piece, in a way that beckons you to see more around the corner and surprises at each turn.  Much of my artistic journey stems from my desire to produce pleasing shapes that flow, reflect, and refract the light, like that little spot on the horizon that catches your eye making you keep looking back to watch it dance on the edge. I strive for technical perfection and attention to detail on every piece knowing full well I may never reach that goal, but the journey is part of the fun. 

Working with glass over the years I have found that the material has many different personalities and properties. It is versatile, frustrating, beautiful, surprising, and sometimes unpredictable. My inspiration comes from my desire to continually investigate new techniques and stretch the abilities of glass. The end result is so satisfying.

One of my favorite things to play with is the manipulation of negative space, quite a powerful element when used correctly. Often it is the major element that explains the story of my sculpture; most notably, my A Tear For Henry, which I dedicated to my father. I have learned that inspiration can come at the most inopportune times in life, and you just have to let it flow through you. Some pieces are a direct reference to an exact moment in my life, while others are reflections of finely tuning my craft, exercising painstaking detail, and attempting absolute perfection of the process.

I love working with glass knowing that one wrong move could send the piece flying into many pieces on the floor, or become a rare gem ready to be displayed on its pedestal!

About Tom Marosz

California native Tom Marosz is a self-taught artist who studied engineering, physics, and mathematics in college. His drive to test the limits of manipulating light began early on; teenage interests in photography and optics yielded early holography projects. His efforts were deemed so cutting edge during the 1960s that after college he ended up collaborating with the Navy Electronics Lab team in Point Loma, CA. After 15 years in the construction business as a glazing contractor, Tom turned to art using his cold working, cutting, and polishing skills to make glass sculptures. Many of his current works are created using optic crystal, dichroic coatings, and kiln fusing. Tom’s broad skill set has enabled him to create a number of large scale installations. The Vantage Pointe sculpture, a lit glass winged water feature standing over 18-feet tall, is stationed at the entrance to downtown San Diego at the corner of 10th and A Street. Another, created for the Law School of British Columbia, spans four stories and features 450 suspended glass spheres.

In 2013, Tom created and installed several glass features for the remodel of the Viejas Hotel and Casino in Alpine, CA. The largest of these features is a jumbo glass panel fused in Tom’s massive kiln, weaved with colors and textures reflective of the Viejas Kumeyaay Indian culture. Aside from Tom’s work in public collections, his unique sculptures are enjoyed in many private collections worldwide.

Acknowledgment of Gallery:
We are grateful to Chasen Galleries, Sarasota, Florida, for providing the Artist of the Month.