Transplant to Finland

Transplant to Finland

When I first arrived in Finland in 2010, I was tasked with teaching a contemporary glass sculpting class.  I was honored, nervous, and excited to make my first trip out of the United States.  In the small village of Nuutajärvi, with its long history of glass making, I found the amazing spirit and desire to learn new things with a material that has had roughly 300 years of Finnish tradition.  Behind all the straight faces, there was a twinkle in the eyes of those who came to see something new. 

Most of the students of that course were students of the vocational college that trained them to work with glass, and one of the outcomes from that school was to walk across the street and start a career as a glassblower at the Iittala factory.  There were a few students in that course who were already glassmakers for the factory, and were taking the course to fulfill outside learning qualifications for their professional betterment.  They were glassblowers with more experience with the material than I, and it was extremely overwhelming.  Even the students from the program in the village had more experience blowing into molds than I, but that was not what the class was about.

Thankfully, I realized quickly that what I could offer was a different way of using and thinking with the material.  I was not taught to blow glass into molds, my education came from fine art university systems.  My professors challenged me to explain why this material was the right choice, why the techniques that I used were important, and ultimately artistic concepts were just as important, if not more important, than the material and techniques that I was using.  Unfortunately, there is not an educational program in Finland that offers a fine art emphasis in glass.

The history of glass in Finland is primarily factory based, but there are the spirits of giants blessing Finland. There is the spirit of Adolf Törngren, who believed that Finnish glass can hold its own with glass made around the world.  The spirit of Kaj Franck also lives on, revering the simplicity of design and fostering the creative freedom of the individuals working with the material.  More recently, the glass puritan and artistic genius of Oiva Toikka shifted from Nuutajärvi community member to guiding light with his death in 2019.

The world has become a more accessible place.  Trade agreements have welcomed international competition.  The internet affords the opportunity of inspiration the world over.  The Finnish people are proud, and with their national freedom recognized in 1917, the country is young if one only looks at the age.  The Finnish people quietly celebrate their autonomy, and have not lost sight of the land that they inhabit.  As seen in the objects that occupy the homes of nearly every Finn, the lifestyle is primarily a celebration of nature.  In my opinion, most homes and decorations are minimal, and come from Finnish makers.  There is no emphasis in most Finnish homes for superfluous, decorative objects without utility.

With International trade, like the rest of the world, home grown objects have been underpriced by those from abroad.  It’s difficult to compete with objects produced for fractions of the cost.  After the 1980s when Iittala accounted for almost 80% of all Finnish glass exports, it comes as no surprise that the Iittala factory located in Hämeenlinna is now the country’s only remaining factory production. 

As a transplant from the United States now living in Finland, the stubborn, steadfast spirit of Finland (known in Finnish as Sisu) is palpable and I am blessed to be able to experience the perspective of not only this country but also to continue to learn of its glass history.  10 years after the beginning of my infatuation with Finland, I finally found the opportunity that I needed to make Finland my home.  I am now the Glass Workshop Master at Aalto University School of Arts, Design, and Architecture.  Aalto University has been ranked internationally as a Top 10 School of Art and Design for the past several years and was previously known as the University of Art and Design Helsinki. Under either name it has been the educational environment that has spawned the prolific careers of renowned designers and architects.

The educational system in much of Europe differs greatly from that which I was weaned in the United States.  I will not form an opinion of a ‘better’ or ‘worse’ qualification, because who am I to come to that conclusion? It is different.  Different in the way that most European universities foster Designers with a knowledge of glass, rather than teaching students to be practitioners of the material itself.  

My role as Workshop Master means that I am solely responsible for the function of the machinery in the workshop; advanced planning for maintenance and procurement of equipment and supplies that will lead to the continued use and efficiency of the workshop; ordering of supplies for upcoming courses that will utilize the Glass Workshop; coordination with professors to ensure the desired course outcome expectations are tempered and achievable within the allotted time frame; teaching the students the skills necessary to complete the objectives of their professors; and gaffing the blown glass objects designed by Bachelors and Masters students as well as PhD candidates that may want to utilize glass for their theses or dissertations.

For years before my arrival in Finland, I managed non-profit, or university glass facilities, and taught within Fine Art programs in the United States.  My pedagogical goals were to help young artists experience my personal belief that glass is a relatively untapped material for artistic exploration.  My own education was possible because of the American Studio Glass Movement of the 1960s.  An atmosphere of community, open knowledge, and working through problems together with those that share the same passion.  The young American Studio Glass Movement found information, techniques, and knowledge from international sources in Italy, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Germany just to name a few.  

Ceramicists with the knowledge of kiln building, and glaze making built small furnaces in their garages and eventually in educational institutions to share the idea that glass could be an artistic medium.  Those types of small scale, individual artisan studios have begun to pop up in Finland with more frequency but I do not predict that model to expand very rapidly.  Finnish society is concerned (rightly so) about energy consumption, the natural environment that they celebrate daily, and the sustainability of everything that they do.  Energy is expensive in Finland, and we all weigh the realities of paying for what we make; both financially and ecologically. 

There is no room in Finnish culture for big egos and braggadocious conversation. Most Finns lack the superficial mindset to listen to those who name drop or seek gratification. The Finnish people live simply, and love deeply.  There is no flowery conversation and the more comfortable they are in your company the fewer words need to be spoken.  The reason I explain this is simple: the relatively small number of glass makers in Finland are every bit as worthy of praise as any other place on the globe.  They put their heads down, work their fingers to the bones, and then go for a sauna and a cold beer.

I have been asked, almost daily, since my arrival in Finland: “What are you doing here?” The first couple of times, I was caught off guard and my answers weren’t very thoughtful.  After contemplation, the answer is not quick...I wanted to surround myself with a culture of appreciation. Appreciation for the natural (and undeniably beautiful) surroundings of this Nordic countryside; appreciation for a job well done; for those that inspire us along the way. With more than 20 years of experience with glass, I was also drawn to the history of the material here in Finland.  I love to teach. I love to share the knowledge that I have acquired and I am constantly inspired by the imaginations of those learning of the possibilities of glass.  I have found a place for myself in Finland, wandering the forests in the midnight sun or the frigid cold, testing saunas and cool lake waters, and most importantly learning how to use my knowledge of glass to pay homage to the history of a material as I join the future of glass in Finland.

Now, over 4 years into my life in Finland, I am thankful for the opportunity that I have been presented with.  I am honored to meet so many wonderful people here, who also believe in this fantastic material. I am currently building a small, home workshop, and trying to design the equipment and space to be as efficient and functional as possible.  I have been documenting the process as I go, and will provide accounts of the materials and build, here on the FIG platform…STAY TUNED!

Terveisin,
Slate

(slightly adapted from a January 2021 writing created for my own website)