The first pieces we came across of Zimmerman’s are his "Biomorphic bubble,” "Crinkled Series,” and “Sculptural bottle.” It was clear we were dealing with an amazing glass artist, not only from his obvious mastery of the material, but his post-modern take on themes and the way he uses the material. His “Biomorphic Bubble” just absolutely transcends glass art as merely functional, and gives it an ethereal, artistic touch that we rarely see anymore. All glass is delicate, of course, but this piece looks like it could blow away if you blew too hard. Partnering that with illumination, and you get a very powerful piece.
While he definitely creates art for art and sculptural sake, many of the pieces he works on do have the element of functionality, mainly in light fixtures. Perhaps it’s because of glass’ already very light transmitting nature.
Born in Kentucky in 1968, his mother was a painter and his step-father a sculptor, ensuring he was raised in a very creative household. Raised in Colorado, early exposure to nature has been a pivotal part of his work. He took his first glass-blowing class while going toward a degree in Anthropology in Santa Barbara, California, and never looked back. He exposed himself early to the glassworks of the masters of glass blowing, so he doesn’t just work in his own style; he has the expertise of the masters backing up his technique and style. Very influenced by other contemporary glass artists, he was able to approach glass in a different way than classical masters do. Now hailing from Brooklyn, New York, his work is really inspiring many contemporary glass artists. It is certainly inspiring us!
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