Robin and Julia Rogers: A Collaboration Resulting in Provocative Glass Sculpture

Physically and metaphorically Robin and Julia Rogers put their minds, hearts and hands together to create sculptural works in glass – their chosen material because of its inherent qualities of luminosity, viscosity, and seductive flow. Their inspiration is drawn from the natural world, personal experience, family life, music, psychology, and science.

Robin and Julia state: “Complex and mystifying, the human mind drives us, but the subtle inner workings remain, to certain extent, unknown. Delving into the psyche, our work explores the human mind to reveal a metaphorical interior of ideas, emotions, and mystery. Floating in the vast sea of our own thought we are alone. This solitude, both deeply haunting and beautiful, is ours to contemplate, conquer, and call our own. Our minds never stop imagining the possibilities of what can be explored, discovered, shared, and executed.”

In their series, Architecture of the Mind, heads are turned into buildings whose history and occupancy is contemplated. Each building has its own unique story, a background different from the one living next door. Community is formed, despite the differences, allowing life to thrive in this modern, fast-paced world. Thoughts from day-to-day life, memories, or even multiple personalities are reflected in these works.

Animalia is also a driving and important theme in the narrative of the Rogers’ work. Since the advent of human expression, animals have been ever present. The artists feel that animals have a certain wisdom and intuition that brings alignment with the natural world. There is something to be learned from the animal spirit; especially in today’s fast paced digital life where it is easy to forget that we, ourselves, are inseparable from nature.

Human Hybrids (Bioengineered) is a series of anthropomorphic humans, where animal and human DNA have been melded together. Imagine the possibilities of a not- so-distant future, where rapid breakthroughs in genetic research, advances in molecular biology, and new reproductive technologies, allow scientists to manipulate human DNA at the gene level to cure inheritable diseases. In this plausible future, parents can choose which of their own genes to share with their children and which to omit. One can even imagine how animal genes could be introduced to give heightened senses and new abilities to these superhuman species. 

Discovering how to translate their ideas into glass can be both challenging and rewarding. After scale drawings are made, Robin and Julia decide who will make which parts of the sculpture and hot work begins. Once all the parts are made, they work with a skilled team of assistants for the final assembly. The finished glass is often combined with other materials such as fur, wood, and steel to complete the sculpture.

Currently, Robin and Julia both work at the Chrysler Museum of Art, where Robin is the Glass Studio Program Director and Julia is the Higher Education and Outreach Coordinator. They met in a small hot glass studio in Western Montana in 2001 at a glass shop called Cloud Cap Glass. As their friendship grew, their glass practices began to overlap. They both became part owners of the studio and worked together, operating the small business and creating glass works.

In pursuit of Master of Fine Art degrees, the couple decided to leave their beloved Montana in 2005. They re-envisioned their glass studio and created a trailer-mounted portable shop. With their tools, dogs and one-year-old son, they set out for Southern Illinois. Following professional opportunities, the glassy family has lived in Carbondale, Illinois; Bowling Green, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; and Norfolk, Virginia.

In 2010, after nearly 10 years of working together and assisting with each other’s work, the duo decided to start creating artwork collaboratively. In these bodies of work, every step of the process, from conception to installing, is completed by both artists. This method of working has led to the creation of artwork that Julia and Robin are excited to make and proud to exhibit. Through the synergy of this collaboration, the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts. 

The couple is currently working on new pieces to be shown in the Habatat International Exhibition in April 2024 at Habatat Gallery in Michigan. They are also starting a collaboration with Fabiano Zanchi, teaching at UrbanGlass in June, and will be the featured artists at the International Glass Symposium in Novy Bor, Czechia in October. Additionally, the studio at the Chrysler Museum of Art, where they make most of their work, is currently tripling in size. Phase 1 of the project ends in May 2024 and phase 2 will be completed by the end of 2024.