Shelburne glass artist Josh Simpson says he is sometimes amazed that glass has held his interest for 50 years.
“It’s so challenging to work with glass,” he said. “The heat, the chemicals, the complexity is what has kept me going.”
On the other hand, he said he has so many interests that it’s actually the perfect medium.
“I was moved by the night sky a long time ago – I still am – physics and cosmology move me,” he said. “I’m also fascinated by glazes – shiny, dull, bright, lustrous. It was just natural to put them together.”
Simpson is famous for his glass planets. He creates his one-of-a-kind planets, both large and small and every size in between, in his studio in the rural hills of western Massachusetts.
Simpson celebrates 50 years as a glass artist this year, and though he has had to use so many skills over the years – physical dexterity, welding, machine tools, combustion, even plumbing – it has never stopped him or slowed him down.
“Dark Matter: The Unseen Work of Josh Simpson” exhibit will open on Nov. 4, with a reception on Nov. 12 from 2 to 4 p.m., at Salmon Falls Gallery in Shelburne. Simpson will be there for a book signing from 1 to 2 p.m.
Simpson was in college when he became fascinated with glass. He dropped out of Hamilton College with just one required course left to finish for his degree but never regretted it, because he did so for what turned out to be his life’s passion.
“I knew what I wanted to do with my life when I discovered glass,” he said. “When I left Hamilton, I rented some land in Vermont and lived in a Teepee until I constructed a shack. I built my own rudimentary glass furnace using recycled materials and went to work.”
He said his first attempt – his idea of a perfect set of goblets – was crude at best.
“It really thought I was doing well,” he said. “I built the furnace on a boat trailer and traveled to craft shows and galleries with my work. Along the way, I experimented with glazes, made my own colors, and all with a complete lack of knowledge. But, I taught myself along the way.”
In 1981, he combined cobalt, copper, zine and silver into a crucible of molten glass. He ended up with an explosion of swirling colors, resembling a NASA photo. He said the irony was that he was never able to melt it again.
“I didn’t do anything specific,” he said.
Today, you can still see his passion in his planets, his fascination with space – he is married to Astronaut Cady Coleman, by the way – and how much “fun” he has with his work.
“Some of the planets are bigger and more complicated,” he said. “I love that challenge. What people don’t realize is when you’re working with glass, one missed step and it’s time to start all over.”
Simpson said he wants his work to convey a sense of curiosity, wonder and exploration.
“I love a starry, beautiful night; I love lightening; I love natural phenom,” he said. “That’s what my work is all about.”
He said it still amazes him that 50 years after his first attempt at glass art, he’s still going strong and sees no end in sight at this point.
“I feel like I just started sometimes,” he said. “I hope my planets give people a different perspective. People come up to me and ask what I saw/see in glass and I just point to my work. I think I love that I never wanted to be literal about my work and with glass you cannot be.”
Simpson said he loves the idea that even if he tries to make two pieces the same, he can’t – the glass won’t let him.
“Every one of my pieces has its own fingerprints,” he said.
The glass artist said people would be amazed at how many times he had an idea of what he wanted and it didn’t turn out that way. He has even taken a hammer to some pieces.
“I can’t even tell you how much work I’ve smashed,” he laughed.
“I remember one time I had the most brilliant burst of colors,” he said. “I tried it again and couldn’t recreate it.”
But, that doesn’t matter to Simpson. He said that’s what makes his work so unique and what keeps him interested every day 50 years later. Over time, he has figured out what works and what doesn’t, and people can go to his exhibits and see what has worked.
Simpson’s new book merges a lifetime of knowledge about glass technique and chemistry with his own unique artistic vision and the results is a vast body of works ranging from imaginative worlds you can hold in the palm of your hand to dramatic sculptures. The book shines a light on his creative process and shows how the artist’s vision matured throughout the years. There are personal narrations by Simpson and essays and comments by glass scholars.
The D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts in Springfield is currently exhibiting some of his work – the 2022 retrospective exhibition of Simpson’s five decades of glass artistry. “Josh Simpson: Visionary Explorations” will continue through Jan. 15, 2023 at 21 Edwards St., Springfield.
“Dark Matter: The Unseen Work of Josh Simpson” runs Nov. 4 through Dec. 31 at Salmon Falls Gallery, 1 Ashfield St., in Shelburne Falls. Get a peek at how Simpson creates his glass art with tools on site and photos of his process. You’ll also be able to experience some of Simpson’s unusual and lesser-known works shown in a galactic environment.