Medium Lens Vase by David M Bowman Studio
Size: 5.5” in diameter x 1.5” tall.
The lens vase is ideal for ikebana flower arrangements. Its form contrasts a smooth, round, hand-inviting vessel shape with a torn hole which looks exploded. It is a work of art on its own, but is understated enough to give chief place to a flower arrangement. Its shape means it is quite stable, so spills are unlikely, but it holds a relatively large reservoir of water.
How lens vases are made: The two halves of the lens are cut from brass sheet and dished with a hammer. Then the middle of the top piece is heated red-hot, and a punch is driven through it, resulting in the exploded-looking hole, no two of which will ever be alike. The two pieces are then brazed together along their edges, and feet are melted onto the base. The edge is sanded smooth (or sanded partly smooth, to leave a slightly rustic feel along the seam, as seen in the large vase at left). They are tested for water-tightness. The vases are then patinaed with traditional sculptural patinas which we mix from scratch. Most patinas are applied with a brush while heating the metal with an oxy-acetylene torch. Many are layered to provide deeper, more complex colors.
Handmade by David and Reed Bowman in Berkley, California.
David M Bowman Studio consists of two people: David Mills Bowman and his son, Reed Christopher Bowman. David began working in metal in 1971, near the time Reed was born; he first made silver jewelry, later moved on to brass belt buckles, then to larger pieces in patinaed brass. Over the years David has worked alone or with different assistants, but he has worked exclusively with Reed since the mid-1990s. They sell their work at fine retail galleries around the country.
We construct all pieces by hand, with hand tools and simple machines. All the work is produced from brass and copper sheet and rod, formed into shape with shears, hammers, sanders and grinders, and brazed together using an oxyacetylene welding torch. We do not cast work or use cast parts. We mix patina chemicals from scratch and apply them by hand.
Find more work from David and Reed Bowman here.
