French artist Julie Gonce’s work captures the beauty and detail of natural forms – flowers about to bloom, moss growing on fallen branches, and dewdrops delicately balanced on young grass. Gonce has been creating stunning sculptures since 1997, wielding her torch like a conductor wields a baton – with precision, passion, timing, and delicacy. Her sculptural forms invite viewers to pay attention to our ever-changing planet and to notice how beautiful and rich nature is as it continues to reproduce.
Gonce grew up surrounded by artists who inspired her creativity and pushed her to create unique pieces. “I grew up around craftsmen and artists and quickly realized that I wanted to pursue a career that involved hands-on work,” Gonce told Colossal. “I chose glass by accident, but when I took a glassblowing course, I was immediately drawn to it.”
Gonce is passionate about preserving ancient French glassmaking techniques and uses traditional methods including glass blowing, lampworking and glass bead making. In glass blowing, Gonce heats a glass rod to the desired temperature and then blows air into it to create a three-dimensional shape. Her lampworking involves joining two glass rods, stretching them and shaping the chosen object. She then used the glass bead making technique, which involves rolling molten glass onto a metal rod, cooling it and extracting the beads.
Working with two different types of glass (borosilicate and soda-lime), Gonce combines her sculptures with natural forms: wood, seeds, mushrooms, paper, textiles, metal, bone, and even feathers. “All my sculptures are made by stitching, which is a method of joining materials,” she explains.
Working with a torch requires Gonce to have perfect control over her body: by paying attention to her breathing and movements, she can create different shapes from molten glass. “At the heart of all my work is always the joy of watching the flame and the glass melt,” Gonce said. “What I love about glassmaking is that there is nothing between the glass and the flame except the hands of the artist.”
Gonce’s connection to the natural world is a source of inspiration for her art, allowing her to escape from her everyday life. Living near the forest, she is always surrounded by changing textures and vibrant colors, which is reflected in the details of her designs. “I need to live close to nature because that’s my source of inspiration,” she said.
Gonce’s manipulation of glass creates movement: light dances across her sculptures, like the gentle ripples of flowers and plants swaying in the breeze.
Post time: Feb-24-2025