Davide Salvadore at The Studio

Today’s post was written by Jordan Miller, who filmed Salvadore’s workshop at The Studio in May 2011.

It was just another day at the office. Standing two feet from scorching hot glass and strapped to thirty-five pounds of camera gear.  My eyes remained fixed on my camera viewfinder. What better way to experience the once secret glassmaking techniques of Murano than to watch a master artist at work?

While watching Davide Salvadore at work, I quickly jumped to the conclusion that working with glass was just just another day at the office for him. From behind the camera, I could see his quest for perfection and constant drive to push the boundaries of this material he loves. It was easy to see that Davide had a special connection with this material. A special trust that gave Davide the ability to allow the glass to shape his ideas.

For centuries, Venetian glassmakers were subject to restrictive laws designed to preserve the secrets of Venetian glassmaking while working exclusively on the island of Murano. Yet today, I watched Davide teach this craft to his students during his studio demo.

While filming Davide at work, I felt like I was taking a trip back in time. Like the many Murano artists before him, Davide was passing down his craft to others so that they might carry on his shapes and ideas for the future. Davide was leaving his legacy right in front of me. As I looked closely, I could see that his final products were in fact reflections of his own experience in life. His pieces were not lifeless, but alive. Davide believes that in glasswork, it is essential for the participant to utilize their sense of touch. “Sight alone is insufficient” according to Davide. He encourages his audience to have a personal encounter with his work. To have them touch his work and understand each shape and movement. To put it simply, Davide wants his viewers to experience what he feels for his art—passion and love.