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In his abstract flameworked and electroformed glass, 

Snic Barnes (b. 1980) gives form to the unseen, ineffable, and visceral. Through modern and traditional techniques, the artist's work draws attention to the unique qualities of glass, which he uses to create a colorful library of sculpted symbology. The result is a body of work that probes the nature of human consciousness and demonstrates pipemaking's potency beyond functionality and as artifacts in psychedelic culture.

 

​In the early 2000s, Snic was part of a small group of pipemakers experimenting with the electroforming process, which he continues to evolve for his craft. During that time, Snic also traveled to Tokyo to introduce modern lampworking techniques to a new generation of emerging artists. Unsanctioned in the US, Japan, and most of the world, Snic views pipemaking as resistance against control over the individual mind and human consciousness experience. 

 

In a world of intertwining beauty, chaos, fabrication, and compartmentalization, Snic creates tools for meditation that offer transport to contemplation and curiosity. His work, often incorporating elements from the natural and built world, echoes the ancient ceremonial practices that revered pipes as sacred and mystical objects, unlocking portals to heightened perception. 

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Snic was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he lives and works. 

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Education

1997 The Crefeld School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2000 Appalachian Center for Craft, Smithville, Tennessee 

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Snic has been the subject of solo exhibitions at prominent glass institutions worldwide. His work has been displayed at SCOPE Miami, National Liberty Museum, Joseph Gross Gallery, SOFA Art Fair, Habatat Galleries, and Gregorio Escalante Gallery. His work has appeared in Vice, Juxtapoz, High Times, LA Weekly, Philadelphia Magazine, Wall Street Journal, and the feature-length documentary Degenerate Art: The Art and Culture of Glass Pipes. Accolades include the American Glass Expo Glass Artist of the Year (Central Territory 2016) and Pipe Classic First Place (2009). 

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