SPOTLIGHT ON ... DESIGNER
March 2008
Our featured designer for this month is Dustin Tabor
I began making beads in 1996 at the age of 15. From a very early age, small objects, patterns, and colors fascinated me. After a chance introduction to lampworking by a friend all of my fascinations had found a ready outlet. Just a few weeks after my initial introduction to the world of torch-worked glass I had a small studio setup in my parent's basement.
My fascinations with antique African trade beads and particularly the intricate dot patterns found on Warring States beads from the Zhou dynasty of China led me to seek out, my fellow Arkansans and master beadmakers, Tom and Sage Holland. In their workshops, at Meadow Creek in rural Fox, Arkansas, I truly discovered the rich history of beadmaking and the limitless possibilities of the medium. These workshops have served as a continual source of inspiration and creative renewal over the years. I return with friends and fellow beadmakers as often as possible.
My inspirations for the graphic lines, repetitive patterns, and bold colors that fill my work come from a variety of sources including textiles, organic forms, and ethnic artifacts. While I grab pieces of inspiration from a wide range of sources the one source that I always return to are the 60's and 70's era concert posters from venues such as, The Fillmore Auditorium and The Avalon Ballroom. The influence of the intricate details, the multi-layered patterns, and the psychedelic color schemes found on these posters are readily visible in my work.
Glass provides a dynamic medium for me to explore this particular source of inspiration. Like so few other mediums can, glass is able to capture the movement and texture of a pattern as it emerges from the surface. Couple this rare characteristic with glass' ability to transmit light and the possibilities are truly endless.
