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Preston Singletary
Preston Singletary (born 1963) is a Native American glass artist.
Preston Singletary was born in 1963 in San Francisco, California. He grew up in the Seattle-area listening to stories told by his great-grandparents. "My great-grandmother, Susie Johnson Bartlett Gubatayo, centered our family in the Northwest. She was born in Sitka, Alaska, in 1880, at a time of great change. Great-Grandma Susie was from the Eagle moiety, Kaagwaantaan Box House, Killer Whale clan of the Tlingit people. That is the lineage that I follow, ours is a matriarchal society."
Singletary met Dante Marioni, the son of glass artist Paul Marioni, at the age of 15 in 1979. Shortly after graduating high school, Singletary (who was actively pursuing a career as a musician at the time) was asked by Dante to work as a night watchman at what was then the Glass Eye, a Seattle glass-blowing studio. Singletary quickly moved from being night watchman to working the day shift to eventually joining one of the studio's production teams. In 1984, Singletary took part in a workshop at Pilchuck Glass School for the first time. He has since been involved in Pilchuck as a teacher, student, and more recently as a member of its board of trustees. Singletary has blown glass around the world in countries such as Sweden, Italy, and Finland. In the late 1980s, Singletary began incorporating traditional Tlingit themes into his work and reaching out to other Northwest Coast Native American artists like Joe David, from whom he learned more about Native culture including Northwest Coast formline design.
Singletary notes, "When I began working with glass in 1982, I had no idea that I'd be so connected to the material in the way that I am. It was only when I began to experiment with using designs from my Tlingit cultural heritage that my work began to take on a new purpose and direction.
The use of glass and traditional form line design has changed over time, involving themes of culture and the medium.
My work with glass transforms the notion that Native artists are only best when traditional materials are used. It has helped advocate on the behalf of all Indigenous people—affirming that we are still here—that that we are declaring who we are through our art in connection to our culture."
Early on, Singletary's work drew heavily from European glass artworks, especially those done in the Modernist style. In 1993, Singletary worked as a craftsman in residence at a design school in Scandinavia for six months. While there, his work incorporated elements of the clean, Scandinavian style as well as traditional Tlingit designs, "straddling two different worlds."
Today he is perhaps best known for his use of glass to express and explore traditional Tlingit themes. Many of his works reference clan crests, including the killer whale, which his family claims. Singletary has worked extensively with other native artists creating glass art works such as the Founders Totem Pole (2001) and Devilfish Prow, one of a series created in collaboration with Maori artist Lewis Tamihana Gardiner (2007). Some critics view Singletary's work as not truly Tlingit, because he works in glass rather than more traditional materials, like wood. But Singletary sees himself as "transforming the culture and forging new paths," which he believes should be allowed.
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Preston Singletary
Preston Singletary (born 1963) is a Native American glass artist.
Preston Singletary was born in 1963 in San Francisco, California. He grew up in the Seattle-area listening to stories told by his great-grandparents. "My great-grandmother, Susie Johnson Bartlett Gubatayo, centered our family in the Northwest. She was born in Sitka, Alaska, in 1880, at a time of great change. Great-Grandma Susie was from the Eagle moiety, Kaagwaantaan Box House, Killer Whale clan of the Tlingit people. That is the lineage that I follow, ours is a matriarchal society."
Singletary met Dante Marioni, the son of glass artist Paul Marioni, at the age of 15 in 1979. Shortly after graduating high school, Singletary (who was actively pursuing a career as a musician at the time) was asked by Dante to work as a night watchman at what was then the Glass Eye, a Seattle glass-blowing studio. Singletary quickly moved from being night watchman to working the day shift to eventually joining one of the studio's production teams. In 1984, Singletary took part in a workshop at Pilchuck Glass School for the first time. He has since been involved in Pilchuck as a teacher, student, and more recently as a member of its board of trustees. Singletary has blown glass around the world in countries such as Sweden, Italy, and Finland. In the late 1980s, Singletary began incorporating traditional Tlingit themes into his work and reaching out to other Northwest Coast Native American artists like Joe David, from whom he learned more about Native culture including Northwest Coast formline design.
Singletary notes, "When I began working with glass in 1982, I had no idea that I'd be so connected to the material in the way that I am. It was only when I began to experiment with using designs from my Tlingit cultural heritage that my work began to take on a new purpose and direction.
The use of glass and traditional form line design has changed over time, involving themes of culture and the medium.
My work with glass transforms the notion that Native artists are only best when traditional materials are used. It has helped advocate on the behalf of all Indigenous people—affirming that we are still here—that that we are declaring who we are through our art in connection to our culture."
Early on, Singletary's work drew heavily from European glass artworks, especially those done in the Modernist style. In 1993, Singletary worked as a craftsman in residence at a design school in Scandinavia for six months. While there, his work incorporated elements of the clean, Scandinavian style as well as traditional Tlingit designs, "straddling two different worlds."
Today he is perhaps best known for his use of glass to express and explore traditional Tlingit themes. Many of his works reference clan crests, including the killer whale, which his family claims. Singletary has worked extensively with other native artists creating glass art works such as the Founders Totem Pole (2001) and Devilfish Prow, one of a series created in collaboration with Maori artist Lewis Tamihana Gardiner (2007). Some critics view Singletary's work as not truly Tlingit, because he works in glass rather than more traditional materials, like wood. But Singletary sees himself as "transforming the culture and forging new paths," which he believes should be allowed.