EP 19 : Tommy Gustafsschiöld – The Last Neon Bender (in Scandinavia)

Hello Lightning Tamers, this is episode number 19! In today’s podcast we have Tommy Gustafsschiöld of Nordic Neon and Diod. He’s one of last remaining Neon Shops in all of Scandinavia. We’ll hear about his beginnings and earlier life prior to neon, as well his recent explorations in making art whether it be collaboration or his own. What I also find interesting is how he processes or bombards his neon tubes using a kiln or oven rather than a high power transformer, in addition coating his own tubes.

By the time this podcast is released I will have traveled to Sweden as part of the Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh Grant, where I had the opportunity to visit and travel with Tommy to The Glass Factory Boda. Here I assisted and taught a hot shop and plasma class with Ed Kirshner and Jaime Guerrero, where took what we learned from our class taught in Pittsburgh last year, essentially Blow and Glow 2.0. I also participated in the conversation for setting up neon and plasma for the Glass Art Society Conference in May 2020, where I will be one of the presenters.

I’d like provide a quick mention for the Advancing Black Arts Grant, as it would not have been possible for me to travel without the support of this Grant and that of the Pittsburgh Glass Center for hosting my residency.

Show Notes

Intro Music: Boost by Joakim Karud
Outro Music: Zoned Out by Joakim Karud
www.joakimkarud.com
https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud
www.patreon.com/joakimkarud

Thank You for listening to the Taming Lightning Podcast. I’d like to thank Tommy Gustafsschoild for his taking time out of his busy schedule to record for the podcast,his generous support, and offer to drive me down to the Glass Factory and lending a hand in helping plasma and neon grow. Also, I’d like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as a place of research and inspiration, as well as encouraging me to pursue this project and to help bring in these artists and instructors to help build and spread their knowledge, and the Plasma Art Alliance where I have access to the well of knowledge and connects me to some amazing and supportive people.

-Percy | Taming Lightning

Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh announces $388,000 in grants

PITTSBURGH, Pa., Oct. 28, 2019 – Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh, a joint program of The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments, has awarded $388,000 to individual artists and art programs for the initiative’s fall 2019 grant-making cycle.