Stephen Schlanser
Stephan Schlanser has a diverse and interesting background. His occupations have ranged from racing motorcycles to modeling. He was raised in a community rich in heritage and as a result has a great appreciation for architecture and the arts.
Stephen found his interest in glass while working as an apprentice for the renowned German glass artisan Paul von Domarus and later opened his own successful stained glass studio in 1983 in Southern California. He has since taken the glass medium into unexplored territories.
He took the medium into an exciting new territory by experimenting with kiln fired glass where shape and form are created by heat and gravity. Arising from the experiments, in 1990, Schlanser studio presented its first edition of the Schlanser designs.
Each piece is individually handcrafted by transforming sheet glass into a collection of decorative vases, bowls and platters. They are carefully shaped inside a closed kiln by heating it to melting temperature. Once the glass has approached it¹s nearly liquid state, it gravitates to the shapes as seen in the Schlanser line. After a gradual decrease in temperature to a complete cool-down, each piece is hand cut and high polished on diamond wheels.
Some of the vessels are composed with various etched designs giving each of them it¹s individual flair. All designs are hand drawn, cut and high pressure sandblasted. Once a piece has proceeded through these work stages flawlessly, various polished or hand chipped bases are permanently attached. Upon completion, each piece is signed and dated