Meet the Artist: Toots Zynsky

Toots Zynsky was born Mary Ann, but was called Toots almost from birth. She earned her BFA at the Rhode Island School of Design then went to Seattle to study with Dale Chihuly at the Pilchuck Glass School. Since then, she has returned to Pilchuck as a teacher. In the mid-1980s, she spent six months in Ghana, on a special research project, recording Ghanaian music. In 1995, her work was shown at special exhibitions in Tokyo, Zurich, Italy, Philadelphia, and Chicago.
www.americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artist/?id=7311

[@willworkfordoge]

It is funny to me that she named her technique filets de verre. Why would an American artist insist on giving the technique she invented a French name. It seems a little pretentious sounding to me. She should just call it glass thread tech or something. Dont get me wrong, I respect her work and all. Maybe she thought she could charge an extra thousand if she gave it a fancy name.

[@gmshedd4541]

+jdekayable, it's a one-off of another glassmaking technique called pate de verre, which is based on glass powders.