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[Nick Uhas] Throw sand, lime and soda
into a 2,000-degree Fahrenheit furnace
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00:00:12,096 --> 00:00:14,140
and you get liquid glass.
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00:00:14,223 --> 00:00:18,311
Skilled glassblowers gather
the molten mixture using hollow pipes,
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00:00:18,394 --> 00:00:23,024
and when they blow, the glass inflates
to form a bubble to shape and sculpt.
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00:00:23,107 --> 00:00:25,651
The tools and techniques date back
to Roman times,
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00:00:25,735 --> 00:00:29,197
but we're about to turn up the heat.
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We're back at North America's
largest hot shop
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to watch ten exceptional artists…
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[blowing]
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…fight fire with fire.
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And now the fun begins.
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[dramatic music playing]
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Go big or go home.
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[Nick] And with great risk…
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-Oh, God.
-Rest on the bench. Rest on the bench!
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-I always come out swinging.
-…comes great reward.
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-Yeah, baby.
-[Minhi] Whoo!
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[Nick] If they can survive
our fiery competition,
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they'll win a life-changing prize package
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that will establish them
around the globe as Best in Glass.
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I'm Nick Uhas and welcome
to a brand-new season of Blown Away.
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[sizzling]
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[upbeat string music playing]
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I'm Rob and I've been blowing glass
for over 30 years.
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I am coming into this competition
as the big dog.
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My name is Brenna.
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I have a one-year-old boy
and a two-year-old girl.
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I may be a nurturing, loving mother,
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but I am an extreme force in the hot shop.
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My name is Trenton.
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I'm highly competitive,
I like to win, no matter what it is.
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My name's John Sharvin.
I'm a glass studio manager.
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I-- I don't get to blow glass that often,
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but it's what I wanna do.
It's what I love doing.
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I'm John Moran.
I'm here all the way from Belgium.
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I'm not gonna brag, I'm not gonna boast,
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but I am gonna win.
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My name is Grace.
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I'm hoping to inspire
other non-binary trans people.
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I don't see a lot of them in my field.
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I'm Claire.
I see myself as a storyteller in glass.
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And that brings love and positivity
into the world.
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My name is Dan.
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My great-grandfather
was a totem-pole carver.
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I hope when I'm done with my work,
there'll be more Indigenous glass makers.
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My name's Maddy. I'm from the UK.
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I'm here to flex my conceptual muscles.
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[chuckles]
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My name's Minhi.
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I like to pretend
I'm not very competitive,
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but I love being underestimated.
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It makes me work that much harder.
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Glassblowers, welcome to the hot shop.
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-Whoo.
-Consider the heat officially cranked.
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[chuckling] I am still
in disbelief that I am here.
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You've all come here with big reputations
and even bigger dreams,
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but out of the ten of you, only one
will be crowned Best in Glass.
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That artist will have to survive
ten challenges
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and impress glass artist extraordinaire,
and our resident evaluator,
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Katherine Gray.
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[upbeat string music playing]
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Glassblowers, this season,
my expectations are higher.
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And that's because the grand prize
is bigger than ever before.
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Now, don't worry, the winner still gets
a prize package valued at $60,000.
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That includes cold hard cash
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and a residency at the world-renowned
Corning Museum of Glass.
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But on top of that,
for the first time ever,
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the winning finale installation
will go on display at Corning.
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-[man] Whoo!
-Yeah.
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[John S] That would be a game changer.
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Like, yeah, I want that.
That would be awesome.
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[Nick] The challenges are tough.
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We expect you to push your technical
and conceptual skills to the limit
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in an all-out quest to prove
you are better than the rest.
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It may sound daunting,
but don't despair, it can be done.
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Just ask this episode's guest evaluator,
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the first ever Blown Away champion,
Deborah Czeresko.
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Deborah. I cannot believe she's here.
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I love Deborah. I am so inspired by her.
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[Dan] Deborah's a force
to be reckoned with,
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and, uh, for better or worse,
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she's gonna be judging my work.
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Being in this hot shop
was a transformative experience for me.
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When I first got here, I thought people
wouldn't understand my concepts
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and wouldn't understand me.
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But I knew this was my chance,
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so I stopped caring about what other
people thought and focused on myself.
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And that's made me a more confident person
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and a better artist.
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Evolution, baby, that's where it's at.
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[all chuckling]
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And that brings us to our first challenge.
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We want each of you to create a piece
of glass inspired by how you evolved
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into the artist you are today.
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It can be professional or personal,
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a dream, an identity,
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or a bump in the road
that had a lasting effect on you.
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We want to understand your journey.
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[Nick] You'll have five hours
to design, create, present
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an original piece of glass art.
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[Katherine] You'll be judged on concept,
creativity and your technical skills.
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And remember, the artist
that does not blow us away
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will be asked to leave
the hot shop for good.
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I want to stay.
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[chuckles]
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Glassblowers, on your marks, get set,
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blow us away!
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[exciting string music playing]
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[Trenton] It's the first challenge,
I'm excited.
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With this piece,
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I'm touching in with my cultural identity
as a Filipino-American,
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and it kind of represents
the blood, sweat and tears
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that I've put in
to this medium and this craft.
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[John S] I have an engineering background.
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This piece will be
a stack of wheels and cogs
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that morphs into
a more organic abstract shape.
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[chuckling] I'm just kinda going for it.
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I'm making a piece called "Hold the Door."
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I didn't get here alone.
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People that could've
easily turned their backs on me
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kept the door open and gave me a chance.
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You know, that's how I got where I am.
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[music continues]
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[Claire] So I'm making a glass sculpture
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that's going to have a DNA cane technique
that runs through it.
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Life is like a gumball machine
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'cause you can't choose what you get
but you got to make the most of it.
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[Minhi] I'm going to make a vanity mirror.
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Each little lens is going to show you
a different perception.
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[intriguing piano music playing]
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So I'm making a silhouette of a woman
that will represent me as an artist
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to break free from the bondage of self
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-for endless creativity.
-[blows]
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[John M] The piece is about
when my father died.
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He was 38 when he passed away,
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and when I lived past that I realized
so much of my life has been geared towards
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me being afraid I would die at that age,
but it's also what led me to be an artist.
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I have, uh, ADHD, pretty severe case.
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This signifies the challenge
to get an idea out into the world.
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[Grace] Glass is a non-binary material,
meaning it's neither solid nor liquid.
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I identify as non-binary.
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These are physicalized sculptures of glass
as a gay specimen.
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I'm excited.
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[exciting music playing]
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[Grace] Okay.
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I gotta tie my mullet back first.
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[laughs]
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You gotta contain the mullet.
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I mean,
it's absurd enough that I have one.
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I don't wanna mess it up.
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We got a torch.
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[Dan] Yeah, baby.
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There she is.
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[clanks]
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[John S] Feels great
to finally be here in the hot shop.
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It's something I've been,
like, preparing for for a while.
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And I'm excited.
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I run primarily on adrenaline.
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I'm a go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go,
go, go, go, go, go, go type of guy.
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All right, first gather.
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[fire whooshing]
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[Rob] It's the first challenge,
and you wanna get off to a good start.
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It gives you
a vote of confidence moving forward.
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It's very intimidating. [chuckles]
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There's a lot of heavy hitters here.
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There's a lot of good competition here,
but I got my eye on Dan Friday.
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I mean, you got to go for it, man.
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The first challenge is kind of like,
"Go big or go home."
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-It's just beautiful.
-[music fades]
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[intense music playing]
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How do you feel
about the level of talent this season?
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I'm pretty impressed.
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People like Rob,
Dan and Claire, John Moran,
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they've got quite a reputation.
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I feel like they're
putting a lot at risk being here.
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It can be hard to come up with new ideas.
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I mean, they might get stuck in a rut.
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We've seen that before.
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This is going to be
a hell of a competition.
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[whooshing]
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[music fades]
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[intriguing music playing]
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00:09:03,210 --> 00:09:04,420
[music fades]
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This is the dome
that will frame the sculpture of me.
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Coming here and leaving my kids
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was, for sure,
one of the hardest decisions of my life.
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I couldn't miss out on this opportunity.
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[Trenton] Being in the Blown Away hot shop
is amazing.
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Yeah, the pressure's high,
the heat's a little higher.
190
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I'm not a full-time artist.
I got a lot to learn.
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00:09:25,983 --> 00:09:28,152
I'm forever a student
to the glass and the material.
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00:09:28,235 --> 00:09:31,155
So, Deborah, who do you
have your eye on out here?
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00:09:31,238 --> 00:09:34,199
I'm really curious
about the next generation,
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00:09:34,283 --> 00:09:35,367
the emerging artists.
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00:09:35,451 --> 00:09:41,373
People like Minhi, Maddy, Grace, Trenton.
I want to see what they can pull off.
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Blow, blow, blow, blow, blow.
All right, let's get it hotter.
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00:09:44,418 --> 00:09:46,587
Blow, blow, blow, blow, blow. And stop.
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00:09:46,670 --> 00:09:48,255
[Nick] So we have ten new glassblowers.
199
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Do you think having
two seasons for them to watch
200
00:09:50,507 --> 00:09:52,718
has prepared them for this competition?
201
00:09:52,801 --> 00:09:55,596
[sighs] I don't know
if any of them can anticipate
202
00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:59,516
the kind of mental, physical
and emotional exhaustion
203
00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:01,894
this kind of situation presents
until they're here.
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00:10:01,977 --> 00:10:03,812
-[Nick] Yeah.
-[Katherine] It's so demanding.
205
00:10:03,896 --> 00:10:04,897
It's tough.
206
00:10:04,980 --> 00:10:06,273
Whoosh.
207
00:10:06,357 --> 00:10:09,151
[Claire] I've never worked
in a studio that had ten glory holes
208
00:10:09,234 --> 00:10:11,070
going all at the same time,
209
00:10:11,153 --> 00:10:13,405
so it's, uh… it's a lot.
210
00:10:13,489 --> 00:10:15,491
Normally, when you're
working in a hot shop,
211
00:10:15,574 --> 00:10:18,452
you don't have
all the other artists, the competition,
212
00:10:18,535 --> 00:10:21,497
breathing down your neck,
hoping you're gonna be eliminated.
213
00:10:21,580 --> 00:10:22,623
So much pressure.
214
00:10:22,706 --> 00:10:25,125
There's a lot of stiff competition
out here, know what I mean?
215
00:10:25,209 --> 00:10:28,045
I hope I win. So bad. I'm so competitive.
216
00:10:28,128 --> 00:10:29,630
Any time I have self-doubt,
217
00:10:29,713 --> 00:10:33,133
I just think about Beyoncé
and try to be more like her.
218
00:10:33,217 --> 00:10:37,012
My biggest competition,
I think, is myself. I'm going for it.
219
00:10:37,096 --> 00:10:39,807
I always come out swinging.
That's kind of part of my nature.
220
00:10:39,890 --> 00:10:42,226
So right now
I'm just sculpting the basketball.
221
00:10:42,309 --> 00:10:43,811
The piece is like a memento mori,
222
00:10:43,894 --> 00:10:46,063
so it's like a piece
about when my father passed away.
223
00:10:46,647 --> 00:10:49,817
A memento mori
is a reminder that you will die.
224
00:10:49,900 --> 00:10:52,444
It comes from traditional
paintings and sculptures
225
00:10:52,528 --> 00:10:54,530
that represent this memory of death.
226
00:10:54,613 --> 00:10:59,243
The basketball, I'll deflate it,
and it will kind of represent a heart.
227
00:10:59,326 --> 00:11:02,246
And I'm really hoping
it-- it comes out the way I want it to.
228
00:11:02,329 --> 00:11:03,747
It really means a lot to me.
229
00:11:05,666 --> 00:11:11,088
My life revolves around creating ideas,
so this is the egg of incubation.
230
00:11:11,171 --> 00:11:14,049
My passion for glass is like no other.
231
00:11:14,133 --> 00:11:18,929
It allows me to investigate myself
in a way like no other material.
232
00:11:19,012 --> 00:11:21,140
You have to concentrate
from beginning to end,
233
00:11:21,223 --> 00:11:22,933
and you can't stop in the middle.
234
00:11:26,019 --> 00:11:28,856
We have one hour down, guys!
One hour down!
235
00:11:28,939 --> 00:11:29,898
Oh, God.
236
00:11:30,733 --> 00:11:33,026
[suspenseful music playing]
237
00:11:33,110 --> 00:11:36,947
[Claire] Keep it turning
and just slightly on-- More on center.
238
00:11:37,030 --> 00:11:40,325
Cane is one of the oldest techniques
developed in glassmaking.
239
00:11:40,409 --> 00:11:42,327
I just love doing it.
240
00:11:42,411 --> 00:11:45,789
If I could just pull cane as my job,
I'd probably do that.
241
00:11:45,873 --> 00:11:51,128
This is gonna be, hopefully,
twisted cane that's gonna look like DNA.
242
00:11:51,211 --> 00:11:53,964
[Brenna] Claire is one
of my favorite artists, aesthetically.
243
00:11:54,047 --> 00:11:55,257
Her designs are incredible.
244
00:11:56,842 --> 00:11:58,552
[Claire] Glass gives me courage.
245
00:11:58,635 --> 00:12:01,680
I'm constantly striving
to be just a little bit better
246
00:12:01,764 --> 00:12:03,682
every time I go into the glass studio.
247
00:12:03,766 --> 00:12:07,561
We're already killing it.
Look at us. This is awesome.
248
00:12:08,103 --> 00:12:08,937
[clicks]
249
00:12:09,688 --> 00:12:11,690
[dramatic string music playing]
250
00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,031
[Dan] This is gonna be the hand.
251
00:12:19,114 --> 00:12:21,533
I'm making a hand and a doorstop.
252
00:12:21,617 --> 00:12:23,911
Yeah, it's a little big, but it's good.
253
00:12:25,037 --> 00:12:26,914
I'm here for a lot of other people.
254
00:12:26,997 --> 00:12:29,333
I'm representing my tribe,
the Lummi Nation.
255
00:12:29,416 --> 00:12:32,252
And, again, all those people
that held the door open.
256
00:12:33,879 --> 00:12:36,006
You've got to remember
where you come from.
257
00:12:37,049 --> 00:12:39,676
I didn't really mean to go this big.
It just happens.
258
00:12:41,845 --> 00:12:44,181
-How's it going?
-Yeah, not bad. You?
259
00:12:44,264 --> 00:12:45,974
-[Minhi] Pretty good.
-Good.
260
00:12:46,683 --> 00:12:47,684
[metal clacking]
261
00:12:48,477 --> 00:12:52,189
Deborah, if you had to do this challenge,
what approach would you take?
262
00:12:52,272 --> 00:12:53,315
Oof.
263
00:12:54,149 --> 00:12:55,275
Good question.
264
00:12:55,359 --> 00:12:58,779
I've evolved so much over the years,
even just career-wise.
265
00:12:58,862 --> 00:13:01,907
I mean, I started out wanting to be
a professional volleyball player.
266
00:13:01,990 --> 00:13:04,868
[chuckling] Well, of course you did.
267
00:13:04,952 --> 00:13:07,746
[Deborah] I also went to school
to be a biologist,
268
00:13:07,830 --> 00:13:10,457
then later I evolved into psychology,
269
00:13:10,541 --> 00:13:12,835
and this really
prepared me well for glass.
270
00:13:12,918 --> 00:13:15,504
The athletics and the psychology
and the science,
271
00:13:15,587 --> 00:13:17,506
I still use in my work today.
272
00:13:18,507 --> 00:13:20,133
All right, let's do it. Come on, come on.
273
00:13:20,217 --> 00:13:21,802
Perfect.
274
00:13:21,885 --> 00:13:24,263
[laughing] The glass is gay,
and this is, like,
275
00:13:24,346 --> 00:13:26,515
what it looks like in molecule form.
276
00:13:26,598 --> 00:13:28,642
It's the weirdest thing I've made.
277
00:13:28,725 --> 00:13:30,769
This is a crazy place. [chuckles]
278
00:13:30,853 --> 00:13:32,646
There are a lot of people here,
279
00:13:32,729 --> 00:13:35,941
some really big names,
and the studio is huge.
280
00:13:36,024 --> 00:13:37,985
It's pretty nerve-racking, honestly.
281
00:13:38,068 --> 00:13:42,281
I want to represent my queer family,
you know, so this one's for the queers.
282
00:13:42,364 --> 00:13:43,407
[laughs]
283
00:13:43,490 --> 00:13:45,492
[gentle music playing]
284
00:13:48,704 --> 00:13:53,458
[Minhi] Right now, I'm working on
a part of the stand to my piece.
285
00:13:53,542 --> 00:13:58,922
I think it takes, like, a really kind of
special person to choose glassblowing.
286
00:13:59,006 --> 00:14:02,676
People, myself included,
choose glass because
287
00:14:02,759 --> 00:14:05,095
we just want to be pushed.
288
00:14:05,178 --> 00:14:07,347
-[clanks]
-We just want that challenge.
289
00:14:08,098 --> 00:14:10,267
Uh! Glass is so cool.
290
00:14:17,816 --> 00:14:21,194
Okay, take it. Top shelf.
291
00:14:23,488 --> 00:14:24,364
Whoo!
292
00:14:24,448 --> 00:14:26,617
One piece down. All right.
293
00:14:26,700 --> 00:14:27,618
[music fades]
294
00:14:28,201 --> 00:14:31,955
[John S] Oh, that might pop. I don't know.
Keep squishing. Keep squishing.
295
00:14:32,039 --> 00:14:34,958
We're gonna make that big old wheel.
Look at that thing.
296
00:14:35,042 --> 00:14:38,045
I'm working on these gears,
or like a stack of gears.
297
00:14:38,128 --> 00:14:41,590
I left engineering school
to, uh, go be an artist.
298
00:14:41,673 --> 00:14:44,843
Uh, I hated engineering.
It was-- it was boring.
299
00:14:44,927 --> 00:14:48,430
So this piece is kind of about melody
in my, like, left brain and right brain.
300
00:14:49,431 --> 00:14:51,850
Choosing art over engineering was, um…
301
00:14:51,934 --> 00:14:55,520
It was a decision. Parents weren't
super thrilled with it right off the bat.
302
00:14:56,104 --> 00:15:00,692
I made it a little too thick,
which is, uh… kind of a problem.
303
00:15:00,776 --> 00:15:01,944
Ready?
304
00:15:02,027 --> 00:15:02,945
-[clacks]
-Boop!
305
00:15:03,487 --> 00:15:05,989
[exciting string music playing]
306
00:15:06,073 --> 00:15:09,618
[Brenna] Okay, so I'm going to add water
to the wall of the glass,
307
00:15:09,701 --> 00:15:13,413
which is about 1,500 degrees right now,
and that'll shock the surface.
308
00:15:13,497 --> 00:15:15,082
Never done this before.
309
00:15:16,249 --> 00:15:17,584
[sizzling]
310
00:15:21,129 --> 00:15:22,714
Ready? Oh, this is fun.
311
00:15:22,798 --> 00:15:24,257
[clacking]
312
00:15:24,341 --> 00:15:25,759
[clanks, shatters]
313
00:15:25,842 --> 00:15:28,595
All right, perfect.
We're gonna go with it.
314
00:15:28,679 --> 00:15:31,556
Could've been a little cleaner,
but we learn something new every time.
315
00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:35,102
You know, the hardest thing you make
is something you've never made before.
316
00:15:35,185 --> 00:15:38,689
I'm sensing that her piece might be
about the school of hard knocks.
317
00:15:38,772 --> 00:15:40,107
[all chuckling]
318
00:15:40,190 --> 00:15:42,526
I never quit. Never.
319
00:15:42,609 --> 00:15:45,278
[chuckling] Sometimes I should quit,
but I keep going.
320
00:15:46,196 --> 00:15:47,030
Good job.
321
00:15:47,114 --> 00:15:48,448
[music ends]
322
00:15:51,201 --> 00:15:52,995
[upbeat string music playing]
323
00:15:56,206 --> 00:15:57,833
-Hey, Katherine.
-Hi, Trenton.
324
00:15:57,916 --> 00:16:00,127
You got an ambitious-looking project here.
325
00:16:00,210 --> 00:16:01,044
Yeah.
326
00:16:01,128 --> 00:16:05,090
What is it that you wanna show the world
while you're here in the hot shop?
327
00:16:05,173 --> 00:16:07,843
Just that there's
people like me doing this,
328
00:16:07,926 --> 00:16:10,012
-especially in the glass community.
-Mm-hmm.
329
00:16:10,095 --> 00:16:13,140
Representation, it's definitely a thing.
330
00:16:13,223 --> 00:16:15,559
It's hard to inspire kids
331
00:16:15,642 --> 00:16:18,562
if they can't, you know, visualize
themselves in that same position.
332
00:16:18,645 --> 00:16:22,232
Making a mess over here. Oh, yes.
333
00:16:23,275 --> 00:16:26,570
Okay, cool. Let's have a look at that.
That's-- That's looking good.
334
00:16:26,653 --> 00:16:29,948
Hey, Maddy, how does it feel to be
in the Blown Away hot shop?
335
00:16:30,032 --> 00:16:32,576
Feels amazing.
I can't believe I'm here, really.
336
00:16:32,659 --> 00:16:35,620
I've only done it-- done glass
for six years.
337
00:16:35,704 --> 00:16:38,248
-Should be proud of yourself. Yeah.
-Thank you. Yeah.
338
00:16:38,331 --> 00:16:41,001
I definitely feel
a little bit like a fish out of water.
339
00:16:41,084 --> 00:16:44,004
There's some
very amazing glassblowers here.
340
00:16:44,087 --> 00:16:47,966
I think this is my proudest moment
in my glass career so far,
341
00:16:48,050 --> 00:16:49,676
to be here in this hot shop.
342
00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:50,677
[snips]
343
00:16:51,636 --> 00:16:53,930
I'm getting in the hang of it
a bit more now.
344
00:16:55,140 --> 00:16:56,850
[timer ticking]
345
00:17:00,604 --> 00:17:02,022
One hour left.
346
00:17:02,105 --> 00:17:04,024
-Yes, chef.
-Oh, boy. Already.
347
00:17:04,107 --> 00:17:05,275
Going quick. Going quick.
348
00:17:05,358 --> 00:17:07,736
I didn't realize
how fast time would go. [chuckles]
349
00:17:07,819 --> 00:17:09,738
[timer ticking]
350
00:17:13,116 --> 00:17:14,826
[Minhi] Beautiful.
351
00:17:14,910 --> 00:17:19,122
This piece is definitely about
me moving beyond any hardships in my life.
352
00:17:19,206 --> 00:17:21,708
How just the slightest shift of perception
353
00:17:21,792 --> 00:17:24,669
can turn something really awful
into something meaningful.
354
00:17:25,295 --> 00:17:27,005
[gentle music playing]
355
00:17:27,089 --> 00:17:29,424
Recently, I lost my husband,
356
00:17:29,508 --> 00:17:34,679
and it was the hardest thing
I've ever been through.
357
00:17:34,763 --> 00:17:36,431
And it, um…
358
00:17:38,141 --> 00:17:41,019
it still continues to be a struggle.
359
00:17:41,645 --> 00:17:43,438
[dramatic music playing]
360
00:17:43,522 --> 00:17:44,356
Flip.
361
00:17:45,107 --> 00:17:49,986
If he could see me here now,
he would just say,
362
00:17:50,070 --> 00:17:52,656
"You deserve this, and you're gonna win."
363
00:17:55,700 --> 00:17:56,701
[music fades]
364
00:17:56,785 --> 00:17:58,078
[John S] Coming through.
365
00:17:58,161 --> 00:17:59,830
[intense music playing]
366
00:17:59,913 --> 00:18:03,333
And flash, just gonna
straighten that guy out a little bit.
367
00:18:04,626 --> 00:18:07,003
I tell you what,
this is the hot seat over here.
368
00:18:10,173 --> 00:18:11,883
[suspenseful music playing]
369
00:18:11,967 --> 00:18:14,261
[steam hisses]
370
00:18:14,344 --> 00:18:15,679
[fire crackling]
371
00:18:16,429 --> 00:18:17,931
[Minhi] Whoo! It's hot.
372
00:18:19,933 --> 00:18:23,061
[Grace] This is the hottest hot shop
I have ever been in.
373
00:18:23,145 --> 00:18:26,481
I have never sweat or smelled
this bad in my life. [laughs]
374
00:18:30,026 --> 00:18:31,236
Whoo.
375
00:18:31,319 --> 00:18:34,531
I am feeling light-headed,
my stomach is getting a little upset.
376
00:18:35,115 --> 00:18:37,367
I'll have a hard time
making it through this challenge.
377
00:18:38,451 --> 00:18:40,370
[Maddy] I'm getting a cramp in my arms.
378
00:18:41,538 --> 00:18:44,583
I'm gonna push through all the pain.
Still gotta keep going.
379
00:18:46,501 --> 00:18:48,753
Gonna need some cold beers
after this, though.
380
00:18:49,421 --> 00:18:52,257
Ten minutes and counting.
There's only ten minutes left.
381
00:18:52,340 --> 00:18:53,633
Wait. What?
382
00:18:53,717 --> 00:18:55,802
Okay, we gotta move.
383
00:18:55,886 --> 00:18:57,262
[Trenton] Pull the socks up, folks.
384
00:18:58,763 --> 00:19:01,266
Looking good. Last flash coming up.
385
00:19:04,186 --> 00:19:06,730
I'm gonna do this one more time
before we break it off.
386
00:19:06,813 --> 00:19:10,108
This is redonk. Okay, were gonna
knock this off inside the annealer.
387
00:19:10,192 --> 00:19:12,319
-Squeeze the legs really tight. Yep.
-Yep.
388
00:19:12,402 --> 00:19:13,236
[clanks]
389
00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:15,322
-What's up?
-[Nick] Time check!
390
00:19:15,405 --> 00:19:16,406
Five minutes left.
391
00:19:16,489 --> 00:19:18,700
-Let's get those pieces into the annealer.
-[groans]
392
00:19:18,783 --> 00:19:20,744
-Down to the wire.
-Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha.
393
00:19:20,827 --> 00:19:23,622
[John S] We're almost done.
This rock is gonna save us.
394
00:19:23,705 --> 00:19:25,040
Saved by the rock.
395
00:19:25,123 --> 00:19:27,709
All right.
Ready to catch it in case it pops?
396
00:19:30,545 --> 00:19:32,422
Let's see if this'll come off. Boop.
397
00:19:33,715 --> 00:19:34,841
Yeah, baby.
398
00:19:35,967 --> 00:19:37,344
Take it. Squeeze hard.
399
00:19:37,427 --> 00:19:39,304
I like it. I like it.
400
00:19:40,472 --> 00:19:42,974
-[Dan] Coming through, right side.
-Very careful.
401
00:19:44,434 --> 00:19:46,061
Did it. Okay.
402
00:19:46,144 --> 00:19:49,064
Yes. Thank you.
403
00:19:49,147 --> 00:19:50,440
[exhales]
404
00:19:51,441 --> 00:19:53,443
[ethereal music playing]
405
00:20:03,995 --> 00:20:07,832
[Rob] In this challenge,
we have to reflect upon the evolution
406
00:20:07,916 --> 00:20:10,001
of who we've become as artists today.
407
00:20:11,795 --> 00:20:15,298
[Dan] Glass has changed my life
because it has such a caring community.
408
00:20:15,382 --> 00:20:17,259
If it wasn't for people
holding the door open,
409
00:20:17,342 --> 00:20:18,927
I wouldn't be where I am today.
410
00:20:19,886 --> 00:20:23,348
[Minhi] I've been through
a lot of hardship in my life.
411
00:20:23,431 --> 00:20:27,435
This piece really emulates my struggle.
412
00:20:29,354 --> 00:20:34,359
This piece ties into my cultural identity,
family and tradition, and sacrifices.
413
00:20:35,944 --> 00:20:38,530
[John M] This piece,
it really hits home personally.
414
00:20:38,613 --> 00:20:40,782
It's kind of, like, beautiful but dark.
415
00:20:42,534 --> 00:20:44,661
[Maddy] The idea is
that something comes your way
416
00:20:44,744 --> 00:20:47,289
and you have to make the most of it,
whether it's bad or good.
417
00:20:48,206 --> 00:20:53,253
I want to tell my story and show more
the inner workings of how my head works.
418
00:20:55,922 --> 00:20:58,883
I hope my piece shows
anything is possible.
419
00:21:00,677 --> 00:21:05,724
I want to show people that there is a ton
of beauty in fluidity, and it's super fun.
420
00:21:05,807 --> 00:21:06,766
[laughs]
421
00:21:08,310 --> 00:21:12,022
[Claire] I hope the evaluators see
a lovely sculpture
422
00:21:12,105 --> 00:21:15,775
that is indicative of my work
and my creativity.
423
00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:18,361
[intriguing music playing]
424
00:21:22,282 --> 00:21:25,035
[Nick] Our first gallery of the season.
425
00:21:25,118 --> 00:21:26,119
This is Rob's piece.
426
00:21:26,202 --> 00:21:29,831
Rob's ADHD diagnosis
has made him the artist he is today.
427
00:21:29,914 --> 00:21:33,293
Glass forces Rob to focus
on the incubation of ideas
428
00:21:33,376 --> 00:21:36,212
and the allure
of the endless possibilities.
429
00:21:36,296 --> 00:21:38,840
[Katherine] I mean,
I'm really taken with the egg.
430
00:21:38,923 --> 00:21:40,050
It's a nice contrast
431
00:21:40,133 --> 00:21:43,428
with what he's got going on
with the, sort of, marionette figure.
432
00:21:43,511 --> 00:21:48,058
So this says a lot about him as a person
and how he feels about his ideas
433
00:21:48,141 --> 00:21:52,645
and the grandeur of his ideas,
but this piece is very didactic.
434
00:21:53,271 --> 00:21:55,315
[Nick] What do you mean by didactic?
435
00:21:55,398 --> 00:21:58,234
It's telling the viewer what to think
and how to think.
436
00:21:58,318 --> 00:22:00,487
-I see.
-There's not much room for interpretation.
437
00:22:00,570 --> 00:22:02,072
-Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
-[Nick] I see.
438
00:22:02,989 --> 00:22:04,949
This is Trenton's piece.
439
00:22:05,033 --> 00:22:07,202
I'm in love with this piece.
440
00:22:07,285 --> 00:22:09,746
I see this as a deity from his culture.
441
00:22:09,829 --> 00:22:11,956
Things like this
were originally carved in wood.
442
00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:15,668
So, doing it in glass
just takes it one step further.
443
00:22:15,752 --> 00:22:18,421
[Katherine] The bowls
and the vessel forms are done really well.
444
00:22:18,505 --> 00:22:21,466
The sculpting… Mm, it's okay.
445
00:22:22,258 --> 00:22:23,885
[Nick] This is Brenna's piece.
446
00:22:23,968 --> 00:22:26,429
You know, all of this,
kind of, broken glass,
447
00:22:26,513 --> 00:22:29,432
it's kind of sharp and messy
and seems kind of distracting.
448
00:22:29,516 --> 00:22:32,435
[Deborah] I definitely give her props
on the technical side,
449
00:22:32,519 --> 00:22:35,480
but, conceptually,
a cocoon and a butterfly,
450
00:22:36,314 --> 00:22:38,441
it's a little bit simplistic to me.
451
00:22:39,401 --> 00:22:41,152
[Nick] This is Maddy's work.
452
00:22:41,236 --> 00:22:43,655
Instead of life
being like a box of chocolates,
453
00:22:43,738 --> 00:22:46,783
Maddy found out
life was more like a gumball machine.
454
00:22:46,866 --> 00:22:48,993
You can't choose what you get.
455
00:22:49,077 --> 00:22:51,121
It's very straightforward.
456
00:22:51,204 --> 00:22:54,707
The narrative is done
in an overly simplified way.
457
00:22:56,251 --> 00:22:57,919
[Nick] This is John Moran's piece.
458
00:22:58,002 --> 00:23:00,296
[Katherine] We have
a whole bunch of different-looking
459
00:23:00,380 --> 00:23:01,673
kinds of objects here.
460
00:23:01,756 --> 00:23:05,802
I'm not sure they really kind of coalesce
into a strong narrative.
461
00:23:05,885 --> 00:23:08,596
Uh, for me, this piece is poetry in glass.
462
00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:10,723
It's really emotional.
463
00:23:10,807 --> 00:23:14,102
The basketball's
just, like, deflating a little bit.
464
00:23:14,185 --> 00:23:17,647
You can tell it's hanging on for life.
I think it's just so poetic.
465
00:23:17,730 --> 00:23:19,649
I take it this is a "slam dunk" for you?
466
00:23:19,732 --> 00:23:21,151
-[Katherine] Mm.
-Absolutely.
467
00:23:21,234 --> 00:23:22,235
[Deborah chuckles]
468
00:23:23,403 --> 00:23:24,946
[Nick] This is Dan's piece.
469
00:23:25,029 --> 00:23:28,158
He has done a really great job
of sculpting the hand.
470
00:23:28,241 --> 00:23:31,494
And even the details on the doorstop
are done really well.
471
00:23:31,578 --> 00:23:33,788
Do you think
this is Dan, like, showing off,
472
00:23:33,872 --> 00:23:35,665
you know, how much glass he can handle?
473
00:23:35,748 --> 00:23:38,293
[Katherine] I don't doubt it.
You know, this is a competition,
474
00:23:38,376 --> 00:23:41,504
so I think you want to…
go big and not go home.
475
00:23:41,588 --> 00:23:43,506
-Yeah.
-[Deborah and Nick laughing]
476
00:23:44,674 --> 00:23:46,176
[Nick] This is Claire's piece.
477
00:23:46,843 --> 00:23:49,137
[Katherine] Claire is
a very proficient glassblower.
478
00:23:49,220 --> 00:23:50,472
They had five hours.
479
00:23:50,555 --> 00:23:53,641
I feel like she has the potential
to have done so much more.
480
00:23:53,725 --> 00:23:55,935
Maybe she was playing it safe.
I'm not sure.
481
00:23:56,019 --> 00:23:58,688
I think Claire, maybe,
just struggled in a new shop.
482
00:23:59,272 --> 00:24:03,276
But everyone's in the same conditions.
It's an equal playing field out there.
483
00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:04,736
The bird's cool.
484
00:24:04,819 --> 00:24:06,654
[Katherine] It is pretty cute
and endearing.
485
00:24:06,738 --> 00:24:10,658
But it's telling the story of cuteness,
not the story of transformation, to me,
486
00:24:10,742 --> 00:24:12,410
or evolution as an artist.
487
00:24:12,994 --> 00:24:14,078
[mellow music playing]
488
00:24:14,162 --> 00:24:15,497
[Nick] This is Grace's piece.
489
00:24:15,580 --> 00:24:20,126
Grace created a piece that examines
glass's queer molecular structure.
490
00:24:20,210 --> 00:24:22,378
-Not liquid, not solid…
-Yeah.
491
00:24:22,462 --> 00:24:23,922
…kind of floating in between.
492
00:24:24,005 --> 00:24:28,134
[chuckling] This is like
a rainbow queer molecular structure
493
00:24:28,218 --> 00:24:30,220
that's gonna grow up into something big.
494
00:24:30,303 --> 00:24:32,388
I just think it's playful, fun.
495
00:24:32,472 --> 00:24:33,473
I love it.
496
00:24:34,015 --> 00:24:35,892
[whimsical music playing]
497
00:24:35,975 --> 00:24:37,810
[Nick] This is John Sharvin's piece.
498
00:24:37,894 --> 00:24:39,771
The rocks represent bumps in the road
499
00:24:39,854 --> 00:24:42,524
and John's decision to use
those opportunities to grow
500
00:24:42,607 --> 00:24:44,859
rather than letting them
shut down his engine.
501
00:24:44,943 --> 00:24:47,737
Okay, the rock is my favorite thing
because of the texture.
502
00:24:47,820 --> 00:24:49,364
You really want to touch it.
503
00:24:49,447 --> 00:24:52,283
[Katherine] The rock is really realistic,
504
00:24:52,367 --> 00:24:56,412
which makes the parts of the cogs
that aren't so realistic
505
00:24:56,496 --> 00:25:00,250
stand out a little bit more,
but not necessarily in a good way.
506
00:25:01,292 --> 00:25:03,086
[Nick] This is Minhi's piece.
507
00:25:03,753 --> 00:25:07,423
Well, I see that this is a vanity mirror.
508
00:25:07,507 --> 00:25:11,803
However, I'm having trouble
really seeing the point of this.
509
00:25:11,886 --> 00:25:15,431
I guess I see the pink
as maybe being, you know, a reference
510
00:25:15,515 --> 00:25:17,350
to the idea of rose-colored glasses.
511
00:25:18,268 --> 00:25:21,229
It's a pretty basic concept.
It's kind of a cliché.
512
00:25:21,312 --> 00:25:23,189
So I'd rather not see a cliché.
513
00:25:23,273 --> 00:25:24,524
It's not going to cut it.
514
00:25:25,441 --> 00:25:26,484
It's not gonna cliché it.
515
00:25:26,568 --> 00:25:27,902
[Nick chuckles softly]
516
00:25:27,986 --> 00:25:30,321
[Katherine] If Minhi stays
in the competition,
517
00:25:30,405 --> 00:25:33,700
I hope that we see
more evidence of technical chops.
518
00:25:34,325 --> 00:25:36,911
All right.
Are you two up for a little critiquing?
519
00:25:36,995 --> 00:25:38,162
Ready as ever.
520
00:25:38,788 --> 00:25:40,707
[suspenseful music playing]
521
00:25:41,791 --> 00:25:46,296
There are flaws in my piece for sure,
but I feel pretty confident.
522
00:25:47,589 --> 00:25:50,508
[John S] I'm already deciding
what I'm gonna do when I get home.
523
00:25:50,592 --> 00:25:51,968
I'm-- I'm freaking out.
524
00:25:52,969 --> 00:25:55,096
If I was eliminated first,
I would go home proud.
525
00:25:55,179 --> 00:25:56,431
[music fades]
526
00:25:56,514 --> 00:25:59,017
Your first showing
in the Blown Away gallery
527
00:25:59,100 --> 00:26:01,311
was one of the best we've ever seen.
528
00:26:02,103 --> 00:26:04,856
-Nick, have you forgotten Season 1?
-[both chuckling]
529
00:26:04,939 --> 00:26:07,859
[Katherine] You know, I always hope
that it's gonna be really obvious
530
00:26:07,942 --> 00:26:10,278
who is the best and who was the worst,
531
00:26:10,361 --> 00:26:13,197
but you guys are not
making that choice easy.
532
00:26:13,281 --> 00:26:15,533
Dan, tell us about your work.
533
00:26:15,617 --> 00:26:18,703
[Dan chuckling] I went a little bigger
than I had wanted to,
534
00:26:18,786 --> 00:26:21,789
uh, but once you're down that path,
you don't turn back.
535
00:26:21,873 --> 00:26:25,918
[Katherine] One thing that sticks out,
especially looking from this vantage,
536
00:26:26,002 --> 00:26:28,671
is it looks like you're giving us
the middle finger a little bit.
537
00:26:28,755 --> 00:26:30,882
I was wondering if that's intentional.
538
00:26:30,965 --> 00:26:33,635
-[Dan] No, it is not intentional.
-[chuckling]
539
00:26:34,218 --> 00:26:36,721
I would definitely
not give Katherine the bird.
540
00:26:37,764 --> 00:26:38,973
Grace.
541
00:26:39,057 --> 00:26:42,185
What kind of technical skills
did you want to showcase with this piece?
542
00:26:42,268 --> 00:26:46,356
Both of these specimens
are hollow-blown pieces.
543
00:26:46,439 --> 00:26:48,733
And they're also sitting on Petri dishes,
544
00:26:48,816 --> 00:26:52,528
which is, uh, a pretty
technically-challenging shape to make.
545
00:26:52,612 --> 00:26:54,572
-Thank you, Grace.
-Thank you.
546
00:26:55,073 --> 00:26:57,492
-Claire.
-[Katherine] Do you think that this
547
00:26:57,575 --> 00:26:59,077
conveys your skill?
548
00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:00,620
[Claire] Yes, I definitely think
549
00:27:00,703 --> 00:27:04,290
that the creation
of the cane with the DNA motif
550
00:27:04,374 --> 00:27:07,293
is something
that I'm particularly good at.
551
00:27:07,377 --> 00:27:11,005
[Katherine] I feel like you could have
showed more finesse in the sculpting.
552
00:27:11,089 --> 00:27:13,508
The bowl is not particularly well made.
553
00:27:14,133 --> 00:27:15,259
Hundred percent.
554
00:27:15,343 --> 00:27:17,136
-Thank you, Claire.
-Thank you.
555
00:27:17,887 --> 00:27:20,098
Minhi, do you think
your work is good enough
556
00:27:20,181 --> 00:27:21,516
to keep you in the competition?
557
00:27:21,599 --> 00:27:25,895
I feel like my concept is very strong,
and it's very personal.
558
00:27:25,978 --> 00:27:29,273
Are you here in this competition
as part of your transformation?
559
00:27:29,982 --> 00:27:33,986
Being here in this competition is
definitely part of my transformation.
560
00:27:34,070 --> 00:27:34,904
Yeah.
561
00:27:34,987 --> 00:27:40,827
Recently, I watched the most important
person in my life perish before my eyes,
562
00:27:41,452 --> 00:27:42,370
but…
563
00:27:42,453 --> 00:27:43,579
[gentle music playing]
564
00:27:44,414 --> 00:27:50,002
…the people who love me often ask me
how I keep getting up every single morning
565
00:27:50,086 --> 00:27:51,713
and putting a smile on my face,
566
00:27:52,630 --> 00:27:56,676
and it has everything to do
with my perspective
567
00:27:57,719 --> 00:27:59,595
and with my ability to just
568
00:28:01,055 --> 00:28:02,306
see brighter days.
569
00:28:03,224 --> 00:28:05,351
-Thanks very much, Minhi.
-Thank you.
570
00:28:06,144 --> 00:28:07,019
John Sharvin.
571
00:28:07,103 --> 00:28:10,940
We were really impressed with the realism
you achieved in the rocks,
572
00:28:11,023 --> 00:28:13,234
which maybe worked to your disadvantage
573
00:28:13,317 --> 00:28:15,903
because it was, maybe,
slightly absent in the cogs.
574
00:28:15,987 --> 00:28:18,072
I kind of mismanaged my time,
575
00:28:18,156 --> 00:28:21,826
and that's what I went with, um,
because I had to present something.
576
00:28:21,909 --> 00:28:23,619
Am I, you know, completely happy with it?
577
00:28:23,703 --> 00:28:25,496
No. Uh, I know I can do better,
578
00:28:25,580 --> 00:28:27,457
and I want to show you guys
how I can do better.
579
00:28:27,540 --> 00:28:29,083
-Thank you, John.
-Welcome.
580
00:28:29,834 --> 00:28:32,962
Thank you, artists.
We're gonna take some time to deliberate.
581
00:28:33,045 --> 00:28:34,422
[suspenseful music playing]
582
00:28:35,798 --> 00:28:37,967
[John S] I really, really hope
I don't go home.
583
00:28:38,050 --> 00:28:40,887
I have a lot to show,
and I-- I want to keep going.
584
00:28:40,970 --> 00:28:45,349
I think they had a great concept,
but I just don't think they pulled it off.
585
00:28:45,933 --> 00:28:48,102
I know that I'm an excellent glassblower.
586
00:28:48,186 --> 00:28:50,229
I don't want to be eliminated first.
587
00:28:50,313 --> 00:28:53,900
I think this is an instance
where we can't be swayed by a story,
588
00:28:53,983 --> 00:28:56,569
but we just have to look
at the artwork itself.
589
00:28:56,652 --> 00:28:59,947
I'm thinking I might have bitten off
more than I could chew.
590
00:29:00,031 --> 00:29:01,282
[suspenseful music playing]
591
00:29:01,365 --> 00:29:02,992
[Nick] Thank you all for waiting.
592
00:29:03,075 --> 00:29:05,536
One of you
started the season off with a bang,
593
00:29:05,620 --> 00:29:09,290
creating a piece
that was personal and passionate
594
00:29:09,373 --> 00:29:12,168
and showed tremendous technical skill.
595
00:29:12,251 --> 00:29:14,545
Today's Best in Blow goes to…
596
00:29:16,464 --> 00:29:17,507
[music stops]
597
00:29:17,590 --> 00:29:18,674
Dan.
598
00:29:18,758 --> 00:29:21,260
-[contestants applauding]
-[triumphant music playing]
599
00:29:21,344 --> 00:29:24,180
[Dan] I'm speechless.
I can't believe I won the first challenge.
600
00:29:24,263 --> 00:29:27,517
Tsk. Thanks for the target on my head,
I mean, come on.
601
00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:29,811
[Nick] Dan, as the winner
of this challenge,
602
00:29:29,894 --> 00:29:32,355
you've won yourself
an advantage for the next challenge.
603
00:29:32,438 --> 00:29:34,857
But you're gonna have to wait until then
604
00:29:34,941 --> 00:29:36,275
to find out what it is.
605
00:29:36,359 --> 00:29:37,360
Wow.
606
00:29:37,443 --> 00:29:39,445
-[dramatically] Dum, dum, dum!
-[chuckles]
607
00:29:41,697 --> 00:29:43,866
Moving on to elimination.
608
00:29:44,492 --> 00:29:48,412
There was one artist today
whose piece did not blow us away.
609
00:29:48,496 --> 00:29:49,455
And that is…
610
00:29:49,539 --> 00:29:51,666
[suspenseful music building]
611
00:29:53,876 --> 00:29:54,961
-[music stops]
-Claire.
612
00:29:56,504 --> 00:29:58,923
Please say your goodbyes
and exit the hot shop.
613
00:29:59,632 --> 00:30:03,010
Thank you for the opportunity.
I'm sorry I let you down.
614
00:30:04,887 --> 00:30:07,098
Good job, everybody. Good luck.
615
00:30:09,559 --> 00:30:11,477
I am very disappointed
616
00:30:11,561 --> 00:30:15,773
I wasn't able to produce a piece of work
that represented me very well.
617
00:30:16,524 --> 00:30:18,484
Obviously, I didn't wanna leave first.
618
00:30:18,568 --> 00:30:19,610
That wasn't my plan.
619
00:30:19,694 --> 00:30:22,613
But I will persevere.
620
00:30:24,448 --> 00:30:26,826
[Nick] One challenge down,
nine more to go.
621
00:30:26,909 --> 00:30:29,495
Get some rest
because you're gonna need it.
622
00:30:29,579 --> 00:30:33,875
I am a roller coaster of emotions,
but it's so exciting. Buckle up.
623
00:30:35,543 --> 00:30:37,253
I need to step it up.
624
00:30:37,336 --> 00:30:39,213
[closing theme music playing]