Dreamy but also crystal clear: We finish the feature on our favorite glass-sculpture-making-couple from the US. Today we talk with Robert Bender and his reflection on symbols that need to be decoded.

When did you start working on glass - and why?
For twenty years I was known as a children’s book author/illustrator. I did a lot of ceramics as a kid, and continued up through my college days. When Christina transitioned from painting to ceramics, I showed her some basic hand building techniques, and when she transitioned to glass I helped her with her firings. Eventually I realized that I was missing the tactile pleasure of working in a craft, so I jumped into glass full time, ten years ago.

Do your dreams influence your work?
My dreams affect my work indirectly. I’ve always been fascinated with interpreting the symbolic messages that dreams are trying to tell. They offer messages that need to be decoded. Similarly, I use the language of symbols through the use of found objects in my sculpture. Like dreams, the incorporated objects add a layer of meaning which can be interpreted in many ways. Somebody once told me that dreams are pictures wrapped around feelings. At its best, making sculpture is an act of creating a wakeful dream.

What is your favorite piece you made so far - and why?
One of my favorite pieces is titled Plug. It is two figures, a male and female with light bulbs for heads. The female has an electric receptacle, and the male has plugs for hands. It is humorous for the sexual innuendo, but the piece also has other meanings. The idea of being lit up and feeding each other creatively, are among them.

Also: I recently did a series using a modified egg carton form. It reflects on the years of fertility treatments we went through. I’m attracted to the idea of fertility of the mind and giving birth to creativity.

What inspires you the most at the moment?
Over time I seem to return to certain themes. I do not want to repeat myself, but I revisit ideas which can be explored from different vantage points.

If you were an animal which one would you be and why?
I think my spirit animal is the elephant. I have loved elephants since I was a child. I am fascinated by their combination of girth and fluidity. They are wise, and have a spiritual quality that resonates with me.