Blown Away contestant Leah Kudel
Photo courtesy of Blown Away / Netflix
Blown Away, Netflix’s new original series, is bringing craft artistry back to the reality tv stage. The first season of 10 episodes debuted on Netflix on July 12th. The show highlights ten master artists, who complete glassblowing sculpture challenges for the chance to win a $60,000 prize, and an artist’s residency at the renowned Corning Museum of Glass.
In each episode, artists interpret a creative brief in their own style. The challenge: impress the judges with their glassblowing skills, or risk being eliminated. Ten artists compete on Blown Away: Alexander Rosenberg, Edgar Valentine, Janusz Pozniak, Kevin Kiff, Leah Kudel, K. Momoko “Momo” Schafer, Patrick Primeau, Annette Sheppard, Benjamin Kikkert, and Deborah Czeresko.
The artisans’ levels of experience are varied. 23-year-old Edgar speaks openly about how many underestimate him because of his age. Compare with Janusz, who trained under glass master Dale Chihuly, and has 30 years of experience. I asked Blown Away competitor Momo, a recent MassArt graduate, about how she felt about joining the show:
“It’s been a running joke amongst glass blowers, saying ‘there totally should be a reality show about glass, because so many crazy things already happen in a studio.’ It just very easily leads to drama.”
When Momo was contacted by the casting director for Blown Away, she was hesitant. “I was a little bit nervous… we knew that this would be the first impression for so many people. To even know what glass art is, or what glass blowing looks like… If this is their entry point, we didn’t want to make a bad impression. I felt excitement and apprehension all at once,” Momo explained.
Inside the Hot Shop
The series is recorded in North America’s largest glass studio “hot shop.” The studio provides the space and the equipment the artists need to create exceptional work. Watching the process is alternately spellbinding and nerve-racking. Artisans manipulate molten glass taken from a furnace with a long metal blow pipe. Using paddles, mitts, metal tools, and the force of their own breath, they sculpt the material, reheating the glass using torches, or by inserting it into a furnace called a “glory hole.”
Fragile materials add drama to the creative challenges. Artwork can easily crack and break away from the pipe, shattering on the floor. The artists have just a few hours to complete their challenge, with help from their assistants, glass students from Sheridan College. The head judge, award-winning glass artist Katherine Gray, circles the studio as they work, inquiring about each artist’s process.
The cast of Blown Away, Netflix’s new glassblowing reality show
Photo courtesy of Blown Away / Netflix
Finished artworks are transferred to a white cube gallery space inside the studio. Head judge Gray, host Nick Uhas, and an eclectic mix of guest judges (including a Gastronomy chef, a Lighting designer, and a Sommelier) convene in the gallery, where they discuss and evaluate the artworks. After a critique with the artists, the judges select one artist to award “Best in Blow,” and one artist to eliminate from the competition.
Crafting Reality TV
The show follows in the footsteps of 2015’s Forged in Fire, a reality show about artisan bladesmiths which aired on The History Channel. Similarly, NBC found a hit in 2018’s Making It, a craft competition show that aired during prime time. Making It was recently renewed for a second season. With Blown Away, Netflix is betting on a continued interest in niche craft content.
Blown Away doesn’t shy away from drama. The evaluations can be cutting, especially compared with the convivial Making It, or Great British Bake Off. Biting commentary comes from judges and contestants alike, who criticize artwork for being too “pedestrian” or “out of a gift shop.”
Beyond the creative tasks, sharing tools and space when the stakes are high presents its own challenges. In my interview with Momo, she explained, “We’re all in survival mode. There may be moments where we aren’t our best. In a large studio, the bench next to you has a torch roaring… you have to raise your voice for anyone to hear you — that could be portrayed as drama. Some of the way we communicate is very curt because there is very limited time, and you just need to get the job done… Most people don’t take it personally, it’s just the circumstances.” Momo shared.
“Being in the competition, it’s a lot more stressful than I ever could have anticipated,” Janusz shares in episode four.
Representing Contemporary Craft
The show also touches on issues like representation, gender equality, and artist stereotypes. “When I say I’m a glassblower, people think I make pipes and bongs,” jokes judge Katherine Grey. “This show will showcase the huge range of work that’s being made in glass, and what different generations are doing with it.”
After her interview with the casting director for Blown Away, competitor Momo reflected on the experience in an instagram post,
“Whether I end up on the show or not I’m super excited to see a growing interest in my field. But I’m also crossing fingers cause #representationmatters and it’s time to shed light on #girlswhoblowglass”
Blown Away viewers watch Momo highlight her Japanese heritage through her art, and Deborah’s defiant feminism comes through in several of her pieces. In short, that’s what sets this show apart: treating the artisans’ work as serious art, worthy of contemplation.
Erin Dollar
Contributor
Erin is the textile designer and artist behind the home décor company, Cotton & Flax. She licenses her surface designs for fabric, home décor, stationery, and other clients. She’s also a teacher, writer, and enthusiastic advocate for small creative business owners. She lives in San Diego, California.
We are loving this show! My children are fascinated by the process, and it’s so good to introduce them to other forms of art.
I liked the concept and all the amazing things that almost look impossible. Unfortunately winner of the series was not based on talent. The whole social justice aspect of the winner took away from the art of glass blowing. They did not seem like a nice person, bad mouthed other contestants, treated their helpers poorly, and disrupted others while they worked. I almost stopped watching after the first episode because I had a feeling who would win. I stuck through the whole season and when the winner was chosen I felt as if I wasted that segment of my life watching the show. I would not waste my time if they decide to pick up other seasons. Halfway through the series I was looking to see where I could sign up for a glass blowing class. Their choice of the ‘winner’ crushed any desire to try glass blowing. Seems harsh but true.
Exactly!
I can’t believe she won. I loved the show except for her, she made the show hard to watch. She was rude. And just won because of “feminism” not talent.
My wife and I had the same reaction to the show; to the point where she (my wife) a RISD grad was looking into glass blowing classes. We were both disappointed by the winner and also believe this was based on politics not talent.
We did a little research relative to the winner’s comment about getting more women involved in the arts. Of the three major art schools in the US (RISD, Savanah School of Design and Pratt Institute) the female-to-male ratio of enrolled students was more than 2:1. But we are supposed to believe that women are under-represented in the arts? This is just one of the ridiculous and PC-motivated statements made by the winner.
Finally, after going to the websites of the contestants, it looks like some of them either parlayed some of their designs and expanded on them after the show OR incorporated some of their previous work into the show and passed it off as a new idea… For instance, the winner’s website shows a “Meat Chandelier” she designed in 2018.
Anyway, while we enjoyed the show, both my wife and I felt that the conclusion was politically motivated instead of being based on talent and execution of a concept.
I rarely get this involved in a show only to be let down so drastically. The winner was NOT the most talented glassblower there. I can’t stand when we let political issues dominate craft decisions. I don’t have any desire to watch any future seasons, which is sad because glassblowing is fascinating to me.
Bad choice.
The concept of this show is amazing – bringing the art of glass blowing to the layperson. I was truly amazed at what was created. Unfortunately, the show was less about the craft and more about the “statement”. I am a female in a male dominated industry, and I loathe any attempts to give me any special favors just because I am a woman. It is demeaning and demoralizing – I am excellent at what I do regardless of my gender. To obviously celebrate a glass blower for her femaleness instead of her talent does not empower women, it only continues to suppress and cheapen us. Crowning a winner because of political correctness is akin to the participation ribbon – what’s the point. A disappointing end to a show with such potential.
I have to agree with you Sally. I will not my husband will be watching another series because of it. Not everything has to be politically correct.
I agree with you, she was not the real winner.
So right. I hated her from the very beginning. I made it through 4 episodes, and when she won because of SJW nonsense. I was done. I told my wife, that if Deborah wins I’m cancelling my netflix. So Netflix is cancelled now and I’m writing in this forum just for another chance to express my disgust that politics can high jack art so thoroughly that form and beauty can be disregarded completely to push an ideology. Ridiculous
I am immensely saddened by these hateful comments. Both Deborah (winner) and Janusz (runner up) are incredibly talented artists. While Janusz may have demonstrated a tad more technical skill, Deborah’s pieces illustrated profound originality and creativity. Several of her pieces did *not* pull on politics, such as her enlarged toothpaste, foot-in-motion, and amoeba decanter. Janusz’s pieces were breathtakingly beautiful, and no doubt his appearance on the show will help his career, but Deborah’s pieces spurred thought, conversation, and emotion (both positive AND negative), or else you all (and myself) would not be commenting on this article, which is what art *should* do. Her creations represent a true mirrored reflection of the tension our country is experiencing, whether you agree with political correctness or not. In 200 years, whose collection will tell our story? Deborah’s. And that is why she deserved to win. The choice to boycott the show because the winner failed to suit your tastes may negatively impact the opportunity for more artisans to participate in future seasons. I encourage you all to reflect on the emotions Deborah has stirred within, and to appreciate that art means many things to many people.
You are “immensely saddened” by “hateful comments”? That seems a tad overwrought. They are not hateful, they are simply pointing out that it became clear early on in the series there was an agenda either by the producers, the judges or both, to give a platform to Deborah to express her political views. And it became tedious and took away from the show.
Deborah was the only contestant to belittle others’ designs or approach. She rolled her eyes, made faces and was generally disrespectful. She was rude to her assistants and disrupted others. She regularly described herself as a “fierce female” in the hot shop and continually brought her personal politics and complaints to the fore. These are not “hateful” they are simple statements of fact.
I was interested in and appreciative of the art and science of glassblowing not an ongoing narrative about her feelings of “otherness.” But it seems that this was the winning formula. For a show that was supposed to be about talent and ability the winning formula was to make a “statement” not to show a variety of techniques beautifully executed within a time constraint.
It is not the emotions that she stirred within us due to the art but rather the emotions stirred within us due to a poor choice that led us to comment on this forum. I feel that she was not as good of a glassblower as some of the other contestants and i believe that the decision to name her as winner was based off of or at least swayed by political motives rather than based entirely off of motive which is very aggravating. Deborah can make whatever art she wants, it doesn’t matter to me, but i don’t believe that her pieces spurred thought or emotion. All in all, i am disappointed by the judges choices and will probably not watch another season.
I just binge watched this with my family. Wife, 4 daughters and one son. We are a family of the arts in almost all aspects: graphic design, theater, vocals, painting, craft and overall creative arts… to the person we all agreed…had a man made the pieces that the “winner” made, hands down, no question, he would not have won.
So, you have made your political statement and can feel good about yourself. Now can you move forward with a fair competition that reflects on the ability of the artist and not their gender, their “marginalized” status in society, their sexual preference or whatever the political flavor of the day may be?
If not, thank you but I’m not interested.
I just finished watching the show and was COMPLETELY disappointed at the choice of the winner. I felt like Deborah won because she was a woman, NOT because her piece was the best. My husband and I were VERY impressed with her pan, but the overall piece was not the best one. I do think she is talented and created some awesome pieces, but I don’t think she was the best. Her opponent is the one that deserved to win. His piece was so beautiful, which is what blown glass should be… beautiful… not sausages and eggs lying around….I would like to have seen him be able to go on after winning the competition to improve his craft and get more recognition for his work, thus helping his career… he clearly deserved to win. SUPER DISAPPOINTED.
Question!!! What happens to the pieces of work when they are presented? Do the blowers get to keep their work or?
The producers of the show do a huge disservice by glossing over the process and finished pieces by spending time showing far less interesting stuff. For example – typical reality show tropes like bickering, or conflicts over a lack of the right tool (due to providing fewer tools than would be needed for this number of people).
Spend a few more minutes showing the meat of the matter and less on the ridiculous “judgement process”, and I’d enjoy it much more.