CREATIVE BEGINNINGS. Born in Stillwater, Minnesota, Dylan Martinez graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 2008 with a degree in science. However, during his junior year, he happened to stop in the university’s glassblowing studio. “I was really struck by the process and all the equipment and the heat that it took to shape glass,” he says.

ARTISTIC PATH. Dylan made his first water bag sculpture during graduate school at Ball State University in Indiana. It was just one of many ideas he was exploring in his attempt to challenge human perception through blown glass. His practice has grown from glassware and vases, which he mastered while apprenticing under Sam Stang of Augusta Glass Studio from 2010 to 2012, to sculpture and installation.

INSPIRATION AND PROCESS. Dylan creates scenarios in glass that obscure the viewer’s interpretation of reality and illusion. His curiosity in this subject matter is sparked by the fact that he was born red-green colorblind. This has presented him with an alternative way of seeing, and encourages his fascination with obscuring common perception in his blown-glass works.

THE DETAILS. Dylan is known internationally for his water bag sculptures. To make the water bags, Dylan sculpts the solid glass or “water” that appears within each bag. Next, he adds a blown bubble to the top which is then smoothed out before he begins to hand-sculpt each fold and wrinkle. Once complete, the sculpture is placed in an annealing oven at 950° F and allowed to cool for 120 hours. The results are captivating!

LIFE AS A GORGE ARTIST. Dylan finds energy and inspiration in the spectacular nature of the Columbia Gorge. And his commitment to the area is real — the success of his water bag sculptures recently allowed him to build a 4,000-square-foot glass shop and gallery in Bingen, Washington.