Five questions with
Mr. FLOWERheadZ
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Hugh Findletar’s Milan studio is a beautiful, messy cabinet of curiosities, with piles of art books and magazines filling the space, sculptures peeping out from every corner, and a diverse array of objects all kinds of objects waiting to be unearthed. This month, the Kingston-born glass artist introduced us to his world of wonders, which he says “symbolically oscillates between life and death.” He showed us some of his collected gems: a series of 19th-century African Murano bead necklaces, a collection of knives, and a dozen ancient headrests, aligned over his library. In the bathroom, colorful glass fishes hang down from the ceiling. The apartment’s walls are covered with stunning black-and-white photographs of Moira Orfei’s legendary circus: he spent 25 years documenting it. Findletar is best known for his bust-like vases – the “Flowerheadz” – but in the studio, his animal sculptures outnumber the faces: owls, fishes, horses, and frogs. Especially owls: “To me they represent night energy, and I love the night.” He met our founder Marie in the 90s at a dinner during the Venice Art Biennale. At the time, he was working as a full-time photographer, specializing in portraits, so when he took up glass making, it was only natural to start creating glass “portraits.” Living between Milan and Murano, Mr. FLOWERheadZ – the name he assumed after his eponymous vessels, caps lock included – is a tireless, multi-hyphenate, creative soul, constantly searching for deeper meaning under the surface of things. |
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Interview Caterina Capelli
Photos Alessandro Trevisan
Styling Erica Toffanin |
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How did you discover glass?
Marie Brandolini, who had just started working in Murano, had piqued my curiosity. I often used vases in my still-life photographs – Marie's, Mendini's, Gaetano Pesce's, and Carlo Scarpa's. At one point, I asked myself: Why should I use vases made by somebody else? I'll make them. That's how the story began. The idea of making my vessels took over me, like a sickness, an obsession to do it well. I felt compelled to do it. It was also a photographic work. [Findletar shows me a folded cardboard pamphlet: attached to each page is a black-and-white photograph, actual portraits of his “FLOWERheadZ.”] I always document my vessels. It's part of the game because I'm creating a population: Each has its own story, personality, and name. The vases are all inspired by existing people, either that I know or don't know. Each one aims to gratify the person’s beauty, to recreate their spirit.
Would you call yourself a collector?
I like objects, and I like to have them. Every object gives me a feeling and helps me create more personal things. I keep curiosities on my table, and I look at them in the quest to find myself. Sometimes, it takes years [to create my art] because I have to feel it. If I don't feel it, it doesn't work. The vases on this table are inspiring for their technique. I call the purple and glittered one “devil's skin.” These pearl necklaces are another example; I collect them because I'm curious. They’re from Ghana and Mali, but the pearls were all made in Murano. It’s a 19th-century technique that nobody can recreate today. Some experts make pearls, yes, but not like that. |
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What do you love most about glass making?
The potential for discovery. Fire often surprises you. Sometimes, it might not offer what you were looking for, but when [the revelation] comes, it lights a fire within you. Look at that glass pumpkin I’ve made. Do you see these specks on top, that make it look so real? They came up by accident, playing with minerals. The fire gave me that, I didn't know it would come out that way.
What’s your definition of creativity?
[It’s] Life. If you’re not creative, you won’t be able to live in this world. This is as true for artists as it is for ordinary people.
What are your plans for the future?
Making beautiful things. I acknowledge that as humans – we’re not going to be here forever; we live in a cruel world. The only things left to provide solace are the beautiful things, which will remain. I do a lot of research, it’s vital for me. Sometimes I don't even sleep because I am too curious and spend the night researching. What am I looking for? Well, I’m looking for myself. I can find myself through objects. Because objects speak. And they’ll keep speaking even in the future when I'm gone. You know, when Marie was here, we were blessed to have her. But even after she was gone, her message remained. That’s magic. I hope I can do the same – to have someone else come along after me and continue my work. |
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Discover Mr. FLOWERheadZ's selection
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