NO25.30 Jevnaker – Glass and Fire

In Jevnaker we visited a glassblowing workshop, and it was one of those experiences that leaves you thinking afterwards: why don’t I do this more often?

We watched the glassblowers at work – and “work” is almost an understatement. What these people do with a glowing lump of glass is pure art. In just a few minutes, a formless, orange-glowing mass transforms into a delicate vessel, an elegant vase, a perfect drinking glass. The movements are fluid and precise; every action has to be exactly right, because the material won’t wait.

It’s fascinating to feel the heat from the furnace, to watch the glass take shape under the glassblower’s breath, and to witness the moment when molten material becomes a work of art. Craftsmanship in its most beautiful, most elemental form. Jevnaker was a welcome contrast to all the natural wonders of recent weeks – here, the focus is on what humans can create, and at the very highest level.