Recently we sat down with DreamLab’s co-founder Nathan ‘N8’ Miers to learn more about his history as a glass artist. During this interview we get in-depth information on Nathan’s early years, his beginnings on the torch, as well as the foundation of Everdream Studio and DreamLab Glass.
DL – When did you first become interested in art?
N8 – Growing up, I had a million-and-one hobbies and interests. I remember wanting to be an inventor one day, then an engineer the next. During that time, I found art and drawing and it just stuck, I’ve been doing it ever since.
DL – When did you first start making glass art?
N8 – In college, I met a glassblower named Chico and he was kind enough to let me watch him work on the weekends. Then I started doing some of his basic tasks for him like welding handles together. Pretty much the rest is history…
DL – What made you interested in making glass pipes?
N8 – I always knew I’d end up in some sort of artsy career, but I thought in my early years it would be graphic design or illustration. I worked in a print shop and did a lot of freelance design in college, which challenged me while educating me on the basics of design, but the 9-to-5 lifestyle was too structured for my free-spirited ways. During those years I was introduced to collectible glass, pipes and otherwise, and thought to myself, “Hey, I bet I could do this!”
DL – What artists inspire you?
N8 – These days I look at a lot of tattoos and street art in my spare time. I appreciate the effect street art has on public space, and both of those mediums share a common bold aesthetic that I really enjoy. I also respect the fact that those two mediums, as well as glass pipes, initiate a fresh dialogue on socially taboo topics. Two glass artists that inspired me in the beginning of my career were Clinton Roman and furnace-worker Dante Marioni. Clinton was a local artist from WA who’s work inspired me because I could actually hold it and look at the details. I discovered Maroni’s work later on through the web, and it challenged me to refine my aesthetics and be mindful of my color use.
DL – Where do you draw inspiration from in your life to make your work?
N8 – Everything; life is art. So glass, or whatever medium I’m working with is an extension of that. Even something as mundane as organizing the shelves in my kitchen can become an art project to me. With that said, it’s often some little design from cheesy restaurant wallpaper or the flashy color-scheme of some useless and unrelated piece of plastic junk that makes it’s way into my work.
DL – How would you describe you body of work?
N8 – I’ve been having a lot of fun working within the space-theme for the last few years and have created a very large body of work with the Intergalactic theme that I’m very proud of. As of late, I have been really captivated with making murrine, which has given me a chance to work once again with a vibrant color palette and the symmetry/organization aspect that drew me into glass, as can be seen in my recent Kaleidoscope Murrine Projects.
DL – What music do you listen to and how does it inspire your work?
N8 – When I’m at work I like good steady beats, usually long electronic mixes that keep me moving and shaking.
