A young man with curly dark hair and safety glasses is working with glass in a workshop.

Robert Burch [b. 1991] is an experimental glass artist unbound by medium or physical location. He creates wherever he is; the mountains of Colorado, New York City, Asheville, etc. As a life-long skateboarder and creative, he is an engaged participant in counter cultural world views and artistic practices. His work is rooted in analog processes however, Robert completed a degree in graphic design [School of Visual Arts, NYC, 2022] at a characteristically unconventional time and has since combined motifs developed across mediums to carve out a style and voice for himself.

Robert’s nomadic life is reflected in the myriad media he employs in his work. Primarily a glass artist (he began apprenticing at 16), he adds items such as keys and rocks and other dichotomous materials to glass. He ties rock climbing rope together with rope made of glass, wraps barbed wire around vases, creates human-sized cairns with blown glass stones and found rocks. His use of material is rivaled only by his ability to manipulate it and he is truly unrestricted by a studio. Robert also creates work after considering his environmental impact and thus uses found and recycled materials as well as sourcing 90% of his glass from Jackson County Energy Park located in Dillsboro (about 4 miles from his tiny, off-grid house). Instead, he creates connections and works in studios and in concert with artists around North America and Europe, collaboration and exploration at the core of what he creates.

At the beginning of 2024, Robert debuted with nine other contestants on the Netflix glass blowing series, ‘Blown Away’. He is using this opportunity to explore untapped collaborations and creative outlets, to continue the evolution of his creative practice.

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A man with dark hair, a beard, wearing a white t-shirt and a dark hat, stands outdoors with his arms crossed, smiling, in front of a black pickup truck loaded with camping gear, with green trees and a bright sky in the background.
Three decorative vases with art on them displayed on white pedestals, with abstract landscape paintings in the background.
A black and white photo of a cityscape with buildings, a narrow street with parked cars, pedestrians, and trees on the right side, taken from an elevated position.
A man with glasses and dark hair in a sleeveless white shirt working in a workshop, leaning over a table with an orange object, with a metal shelf in the background.
Two female news anchors sitting at a news desk, with a large screen behind them displaying '7 NEWS WSPA.COM'. The anchor on the left is wearing a sleeveless maroon dress, and the anchor on the right is wearing a dark dress with a necklace. The chyron at the bottom reads 'GLASS EXHIBITION AT WCU'.
Small, rustic tiny house with metal and wood exterior, a window, a door, and a yellow kayak on a small porch, outdoor grassy area, cloudy sky.
Glass sculpture with rock, positioned on a dark wooden block, set against a black background.
A man with glasses, a red bandana, and tattoos, wearing a black tank top, is shaping molten glass with a wooden tool at a hot glassblowing studio. Another person in the background is watching, with a dark industrial ceiling overhead.

Love and Radio Podcast

This is a more in depth look at the photos I was taking at the time of the tale told on Love + Radio. I hope these pictures give a clearer image of what I was describing.

Music contribution by The Heresiarch

Link to Full Story. 

Snow-covered landscape with mountain range in the background, partially cloudy sky, and evergreen trees along the horizon.
A brick forge with a metal pipe and aluminum foil wrapped around it, used for blacksmithing or metalworking.
A person is lying in bed with a sheet partially covering their face. They are holding a piece of paper with a drawing of an eye over their face. The person has long hair and is wearing rings on their fingers.
Night view of the Las Vegas Strip with illuminated casino signs, including Bally's, and city traffic.
A motel with yellow walls, green railings, and an outdoor staircase, surrounded by tall palm trees, with a red car parked in front and a clear blue sky above.
A white delivery truck with an empty cargo box parked on a gravel surface, surrounded by trees.
A tow truck is towing a white van on the side of a desert road with mountains in the background.
A large tow truck parked on the side of a rural two-lane road in an arid landscape with mountains in the distance under a partly cloudy sky.
Stacked wooden crates with red and white labels indicating fragile glass and handle with care, some crates have the word 'FRAGILE' written on them.
Small brown and beige shed in a rural outdoor setting, with various construction and gardening materials around, including large black plastic pipes, buckets, and metal racks.
Close-up view of a classical white marble statue of a woman with a partially draped garment, standing in an interior with a domed ceiling and a crescent moon visible through a skylight.
A large industrial furnace or kiln with a glowing fiery interior, mounted on a metal stand inside a workshop or factory setting.
A person standing outside next to a white moving van with a graphic of an orange tiger on the side and the words "Gentle-Ride Van." The person is wearing an orange and black tiger-print outfit.
Person reclining with legs up in brown shoes and blue jeans, facing white car parked on street. Inside the car, a woman with black hair, white flower hair accessory, pink sunglasses, and black clothing leans out of the window, resting her arm on the
A young woman with shoulder-length hair, sunglasses, and a striped sweater making a gesture with her middle finger. She is standing outdoors near a road with trees and a bridge in the background.