Peter Bremers: Transformation and Transcendence

Creator. Healer. Traveler. Dutch-born artist, Peter Bremers, is renowned for his glass sculptures inspired by nature's most extreme landscapes and the transformational journeys he has taken around the world. Deeply touched by the majesty of nature, Bremers conveys his awe and gratitude through his sculpture while using his travels as an inexhaustible source of inspiration.  Having begun his career working with a wide range of materials including glass, plastic, steel and stone, over time Bremers found glass to be the best way of realizing his artistic visions. Understanding the captivating power of transparency and light, he has successfully broken boundaries with scale and form throughout his 40-year career leading to his international reputation. The artist's use of reductive forms awakens his viewers' sensitivity to space and perception in graceful, nonverbal poems about light, color, and form.  Bremers states: "I have a deep love for glass as it is the only material that allows you to experience four dimensions. You can see the front and the back of a sculpture at the same time, as well as the matter and space in-between." Born in 1957 in Maastricht, Netherlands, Bremers attended the University of Fine Arts (Sculpture Department) in his hometown. His introduction to glass came by serendipity after he was well-established as a light-sculptor, when he wandered into a glassblowing workshop and was enthralled by the molten, luminous material. He then studied glass at the Jan van Eyck Akademie, Post Academic Institute for Art & Design, also in Maastricht. He attended workshops at The Oude Horn in Leerdam and became an assistant to Bernard Heesen. In 1989, he participated in a workshop with Lino Tagliapietra, who executed two of Bremers' designs that were subsequently purchased by the Municipal Museum of The City of The Hague. That same year, he went to work with Neil Wilkin in England, where he produced objects using the graal technique. Bremers has taught and exhibited around the world, from Europe to Australia, Africa, China, and North America. His art is included in numerous collections including the National Glass Museum (Leerdam, Netherlands); the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Indiana, the Kunstgewerbe Museum (Berlin, Germany); the Palm Springs Art Museum (California); and the Ringling School of Art and Design, Basch Gallery, (Sarasota, Florida). He has had solo and group exhibitions in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland, the United States, Australia, Israel, Italy, Canada, Dubai, the Czech Republic, China, and Taiwan. Among other public commissions, he has done installations on the Queen Mary II and at the "Murano" Glass Hotel in Tacoma, Washington.   Through January 16, 2022, Imagine Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida, presents Transformation and Transcendence, a solo exhibition including two distinct bodies of Bremers' sculpture – Perception and 7 Bodies. The Perception series of nine sculptures, identical in form, have been created using different colors and materials. Their level of reflectiveness, from transparent to mirroring, change the periphery of our vision and thus the perception of how we are interpreting each form and its impact. The 7 Bodies series represents seven fundamental elements that embody our human existence through repetitive, sculptural forms. The pieces in the series are entitled: Physical, Mental, Emotional, Vibrational, Spiritual, Creative and Ethereal. Bremers approaches each of these bodies with the intention of exemplifying through the exterior and interior forms, the human potential that exists within us all. "Capturing the beauty of life, Bremers' work transports the viewer into the worlds he has created. From the spiritual to the transcendent, his creations leave you with a sense of positivity and hope as we all search for meaning and appreciation of our planet." – Imagine Museum In this special AMA (Ask Me Anything) episode and Patreon reward, long-time ToYG supporter Anthony Cowan interviews Bremers. Cowan, who lives in Florida, is immersed in energy healing, glass art and poetry. He has written a feature article on Bremers that will publish in Glass magazine on December 1, 2021. If you're interested in becoming a Patreon sponsor and co-producer of ToYG podcast, please visit www.patreon.com/TalkingOutYourGlass