The Big Toss

Stephen Hodder, whose studio is in Princeton, Minnesota, was schooled to emphasize content as opposed to decoration as an approach to glass. As a result, his works, which often take a loose plate form, are narrative-based. The Big Toss refers to taking chances in life, with the faces and arrows indicating different choices. It was part of a group of work Hodder created when he was working through major family decisions that he knew would have long-reaching consequences. Hodder produces his pieces by first blowing a multicolored flattened form with a core of white glass. He then masks off his drawing on the glass with tape, and finally cuts back to the colors he wants for each part of the image through sandblasting. He then cuts through to the white center of the piece for the design's background.