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[Nick] This season on Blown Away…
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-[whooshing]
-[dramatic music playing]
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…ten talented glassblowers
from around the world
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came to North America's largest hot shop.
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Let's blow some glass!
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[Nick] Armed with blow pipes,
punties and paddles,
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they battled it out for fame and fortune.
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-Rest on the bench!
-Oh, God!
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Chaos!
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[Nick] Glass got the best
of Claire, Rob, Maddy, Brenna, Grace,
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Trenton, Dan and John, as they were
all asked to leave the hot shop.
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[suspenseful string music playing]
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With just one challenge left,
only Minhi and John Moran remain.
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[Minhi] Being Best in Glass
would be completely life-changing.
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It's been an emotional ride. It's surreal.
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[Nick] Who will be named
Blown Away Champion
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and earn the title Best in Glass?
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I'm Nick Uhas, and this is
the season finale of Blown Away.
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[hissing, sizzling]
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[dramatic music playing]
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Glassblowers, welcome to the moment
we've all been waiting for.
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[Minhi] The finale.
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[in sing-song] Whoo! I did it.
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[laughs]
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I, literally this morning, just said,
"I have a 50-50% chance of winning this."
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It hasn't quite set in yet.
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John, Minhi, you've bested
eight other exceptional glassblowers
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and overcome nine challenges
to be right here, right now.
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It's really still
something I can't fathom.
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I've given all of myself
to this competition.
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And now, for the final challenge.
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Cue the gallery doors.
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[intriguing music playing]
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[Minhi] Seeing the empty gallery
is like seeing a giant blank canvas.
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I don't know if I like that
or if that terrifies me. [chuckles]
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You will each have eight hours
to fill one half of the gallery.
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[chuckles]
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[Nick] The challenge
is to create a cohesive,
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original and immersive glass installation
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that will blow everyone away.
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[hopeful music playing]
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The theme of your installation
is entirely up to you,
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but I will say that we expect you
to produce a technical tour de force
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with a strong, personal statement.
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-Yeah.
-[chuckles softly]
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No pressure. It'll be fine.
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[laughs]
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Not only are you competing
for a prize package valued at $60,000
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that includes a residency
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at the world-renowned
Corning Museum of Glass.
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The winning installation
will also go on display at Corning.
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Having work shown and installed
at Corning is a lifelong goal.
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It's like a bucket list item.
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Today, you two have a chance
to make that dream come true.
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I want this so bad
it's all I've thought about
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from the moment
that I applied for the competition.
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Helping evaluate your installations
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is the curator
of Post-War and Contemporary Glass
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at the Corning Museum, Susie Silbert.
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[uplifting music playing]
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[John] Susie Silbert is a big deal.
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I look up to her so much.
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That has me feeling a little starstruck.
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I know how intense this moment is for you.
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So I brought six stellar glass workers
from our Corning Museum of Glass…
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-Great.
-…to work with you to create your pieces
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and help you realize your vision.
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For the finale,
you'll be evaluated on design, concept,
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and overall presentation
of your installation,
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as well as your
entire Blown Away body of work.
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-Ready to get started?
-Yes.
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Here we go. [chuckles]
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Your time starts…
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[suspenseful music playing]
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…now.
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[both laugh]
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[dramatic string music playing]
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This final challenge means a lot to me.
I definitely feel more pressure.
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Let's do it.
I'm so excited to work with you.
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A lot is being asked of us.
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It's like, "Do the best thing
you've ever done,
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but you only have eight hours."
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[clicks tongue] Good luck. [laughs]
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[hopeful string music playing]
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[Nick] So here's a photo retrospective
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of John and Minhi's work
over the nine challenges.
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You know, John has stuck to what he knows.
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I don't know as he's, like,
pushed himself outside of the box
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as much as Minhi has.
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There's definitely been a progression
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in how she's approached
the material and each challenge.
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Who do you think has the edge here?
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Honestly, I think,
once we get to the finale,
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it's concept, it's design, it's technique,
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all of those things,
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and they both are really good
in all of those areas.
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So I think they both
have a chance of winning.
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I'd agree with that.
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John really does have
the lock on his particular sculpting
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and on his shading, and all of that.
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But, you know, there are things
that Minhi's doing that are advanced
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and very interesting, and she has spark.
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I think it's really interesting to see
how different these two artists are.
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Using the floor,
I kinda wanna make this like cobblestones
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that will piece together.
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Coming out, this will also be shrubbery,
like little grass coming out,
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make it look like
it's pushing up through the ground.
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The experience I want people to have
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is to discover these moments
of the white floor breaking apart
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and revealing life underneath.
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And we're just gonna go really big.
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We're going to make it as big as we can
so that it has this really big presence.
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Lots and lots of color.
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And we'll apply the color with murrine.
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My piece is going to be this sphere
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that represents a fire
within the spirit that is lifting up.
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It's like pulling up out of this tar,
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out of this muck
from many, many different places.
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It's about rising from the ashes.
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There's gonna be
this stuffed toy rabbit that'll be here.
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It'll be kind of, like, discarded.
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The rabbit is supposed to be
like a discarded child's toy.
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But there's a flower growing from it.
It's a symbol of birth and growth.
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Is any of this gonna be on a pedestal
or hanging from the ceiling?
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No. The real idea for this piece
is that it's all about the floor.
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So everything will be down on the ground.
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I definitely feel like it's a risk to not
fill the space with a lot of objects,
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but I feel like it's a calculated risk.
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Nearing the end of the time,
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I'm gonna have all of us,
all hands on deck,
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trying to make as much of this darkness
to cover the floor.
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-Well, looks like we got our work cut out.
-[laughs] I think so. I think so.
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-Let's do this!
-Yeah. Let's do it.
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[all chuckling]
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-[timer ticking]
-[fire whooshing]
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-This is the fun part.
-[woman] Yeah!
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All right, let's do it.
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[dramatic music playing]
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[John] I'm incredibly pumped right now.
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-Yeah, buddy!
-Yeah! We're in it!
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[exciting music playing]
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I'm gonna manage the Corning team.
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I'll show Tom and Eric
how I would approach the brick.
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And then let them run with it.
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You want to texture this up more.
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-Yeah.
-Just kinda, like, hit the surface.
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[Tom] Yep, yep.
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I'm gonna work with Helen
on making the rabbit parts.
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[Helen] Is the stuffing gonna be
coming out of the mid-body or the hand?
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Yeah. The middle of the body a little bit.
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I'm not very good at making rondels,
so I'll have Eric do that.
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I feel great.
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It's been a hell of a run.
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This challenge is super important.
Everything I've done was to be here now.
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It feels so good to be
at this point in the competition.
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My husband encouraged me to apply.
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He lost his battle to cancer.
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And so I said,
"Okay, I'm-- I'm gonna do it."
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And now, here I am.
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Don't leave cold spots.
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[chuckles softly]
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Not promising anything.
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[laughs]
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Susie, do you have a prediction
for who the winner will be?
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No, I don't, because
one of the things that's strangest
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for me to be right here
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is that I don't really think
of there being winners at art.
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To win at art is to get to keep making
your work every day.
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[elegant piano music playing]
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When I first wanted to be an artist,
I was a painter.
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And the moment I walked into the hot shop,
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I dropped everything
and I never painted again.
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Everything was just about glass
from that moment on.
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[Nick] So we say
that this prize is life-changing.
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How true is that?
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I think it's incredibly true.
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[John] The prize at the end
would be something amazing.
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I've been doing this for 20 years,
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and I have no savings, no--
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I don't own anything. I have no money.
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To actually have money in the bank
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and to be able to do
a residency at a place like Corning,
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like, a dream come true. [chuckles]
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That is a huge, huge game changer
for a lot of artists.
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Hustle, hustle.
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[exciting string music playing]
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This piece represents my journey.
It represents my will to carry on.
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It's really important
that the sphere is very colorful.
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It's supposed to represent hope.
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So I am utilizing warm colors.
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Reds and yellows,
showing this fiery spirit.
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I decide to use a murrine technique.
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I want to use murrine to make a pattern
that is pretty uniform and round.
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Seeing a lot of broken cane.
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[assistant] It keeps breaking.
And the other one did, too.
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[suspenseful music playing]
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That's not supposed to happen. [chuckles]
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There's a reaction happening
with the clear glass
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that is causing everything to shatter.
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Yeah. It's just a thing
that happens sometimes, unfortunately.
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So I have to make a decision to pivot.
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I have lost two hours.
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I'm just going to do the same plan,
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just a different color palette
and hope I have enough time.
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[fire whooshing]
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Right now, I am texturing this rabbit.
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'Cause I want to make sure
it looks like a stuffed animal.
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-This will give it the fluffy feeling.
-Right.
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[John] So the rabbit is supposed to be
like a discarded child's toy.
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So it is about lost innocence.
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My father died when I was ten.
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It's not something I talk about a lot,
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but I know that it's something
that really affected me in my life.
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This part of making for me is cathartic.
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This is, like, how I process everything.
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I think that's why I do it.
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It's really, uh, what I was imagining.
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[dramatic music playing]
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[Nick] So this season,
for the first time ever,
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the winning installation goes on display
at the Corning Museum of Glass.
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How big of an impact
is that for the artist?
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I hope that it can have
a really big impact.
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The Corning Museum of Glass
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is the preeminent museum of glass
in the world.
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-[clanging]
-Beautiful.
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This is an incredible platform
that I think a lot of artists dream of.
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It's like the whole thing's
been leading up to this.
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It's what you think about the whole time.
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I haven't thought about the fact
that this could be displayed at Corning
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because I don't want to jinx myself.
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[optimistic music playing]
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I see, on John's team,
they're spending a lot of time
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putting texture on different pieces.
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Like, a lot of time. I hope that pays off.
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So far, I have made the bunny head.
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We've made a pile of the bricks,
and this is the body of the bunny.
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Just a hare more to do. [chuckles]
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-[exciting music playing]
-It does take up time.
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And I'm very particular about the colors,
so I wanna make sure it looks right.
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Wait, I'm like--
Am I making this backwards?
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Hmm.
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[groans]
243
00:12:15,152 --> 00:12:16,695
It needs to go the other way.
244
00:12:17,362 --> 00:12:19,364
Made the head resting on one side.
245
00:12:19,448 --> 00:12:23,076
And when I sculpted the body,
I made the body going the other direction.
246
00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:25,329
Uh, I made a mistake. I'm fixing it now.
247
00:12:26,371 --> 00:12:27,456
[Helen] There you go.
248
00:12:28,081 --> 00:12:30,501
Luckily, though,
I had the heat in the piece already,
249
00:12:30,584 --> 00:12:32,544
so we just kinda flopped it the other way.
250
00:12:33,295 --> 00:12:34,713
What we always say is, uh,
251
00:12:34,797 --> 00:12:36,965
"What makes a good glass artist
isn't what you can make,
252
00:12:37,049 --> 00:12:38,550
it's what you can fix," so… [chuckles]
253
00:12:39,843 --> 00:12:43,180
[Minhi] So, we ran into
a bit of a compatibility problem.
254
00:12:43,263 --> 00:12:44,348
[glass clattering]
255
00:12:45,015 --> 00:12:47,726
The warm colors are exploding,
256
00:12:47,810 --> 00:12:51,230
so we have to use
a different color palette now.
257
00:12:51,939 --> 00:12:57,236
I switch to cool colors
like blues and greens and purples.
258
00:12:57,319 --> 00:12:59,780
-[glass shatters]
-[assistant] That's breaking too.
259
00:13:00,405 --> 00:13:03,492
-That's not good.
-[Minhi] Whoa. What is happening?
260
00:13:03,575 --> 00:13:05,327
It's totally doing the same thing.
261
00:13:05,410 --> 00:13:08,413
-[assistant] Shattering from the outside.
-[George] Yeah, yeah.
262
00:13:08,497 --> 00:13:09,790
[Minhi] That's so crazy.
263
00:13:09,873 --> 00:13:10,999
[suspenseful music playing]
264
00:13:11,083 --> 00:13:13,293
I don't even know what to say about that.
265
00:13:14,294 --> 00:13:15,712
[John] Incompatibility happens,
266
00:13:15,796 --> 00:13:18,257
but this is the same glass
we've been using the entire time.
267
00:13:18,340 --> 00:13:21,426
I think she used it in a way
that we haven't done so far.
268
00:13:21,510 --> 00:13:22,845
How you doing, Minhi?
269
00:13:24,096 --> 00:13:25,305
[Minhi] Not good.
270
00:13:25,389 --> 00:13:29,351
I don't want to win because Minhi wasn't
able to make what she wanted to make.
271
00:13:29,434 --> 00:13:31,687
I want her to pull through
and make something awesome.
272
00:13:33,355 --> 00:13:35,524
That's a lot of time that was wasted.
273
00:13:35,607 --> 00:13:36,859
[dramatic music playing]
274
00:13:36,942 --> 00:13:39,403
I'm feeling insanely overwhelmed.
275
00:13:39,486 --> 00:13:40,571
[clattering]
276
00:13:40,654 --> 00:13:42,698
I've totally shut down.
277
00:13:42,781 --> 00:13:46,702
I can't think and I don't know what to do.
278
00:13:46,785 --> 00:13:47,744
[inhales]
279
00:13:50,706 --> 00:13:51,790
You hanging in there?
280
00:13:55,085 --> 00:13:56,461
You got it. [pats back]
281
00:13:56,545 --> 00:13:59,131
Just… Just get out of your--
get out of your own head.
282
00:13:59,214 --> 00:14:00,841
-You'll be fine.
-Okay.
283
00:14:00,924 --> 00:14:01,800
You got it.
284
00:14:03,260 --> 00:14:08,348
Having Katherine tell me that I can
do this is exactly what I needed.
285
00:14:08,432 --> 00:14:10,017
[intense music playing]
286
00:14:10,100 --> 00:14:11,351
All right. Good luck.
287
00:14:12,978 --> 00:14:15,939
At this point,
I know I just need to move forward.
288
00:14:17,024 --> 00:14:20,736
Instead of using color bar,
which seems like it's not going to work,
289
00:14:20,819 --> 00:14:22,779
I have to use frit.
290
00:14:22,863 --> 00:14:26,909
So I switch from murrine to cane.
291
00:14:27,576 --> 00:14:30,412
Well, at least we get
our fire colors back this way.
292
00:14:30,495 --> 00:14:32,289
[chuckling] This'll be all right.
293
00:14:32,372 --> 00:14:34,374
[intriguing music playing]
294
00:14:34,458 --> 00:14:37,502
There's four hours gone,
and there's four hours left!
295
00:14:37,586 --> 00:14:38,921
You're halfway through!
296
00:14:39,004 --> 00:14:39,963
Okay, flash.
297
00:14:42,591 --> 00:14:44,927
-[John] All right, go ahead and slack.
-Yeah.
298
00:14:45,510 --> 00:14:47,471
-Hi, Katherine.
-Hi, John.
299
00:14:47,554 --> 00:14:50,349
What are you hoping to accomplish
with this installation?
300
00:14:50,432 --> 00:14:53,644
I want to make a piece that is,
like, immersive in a very different way.
301
00:14:53,727 --> 00:14:56,605
So the piece isn't only about the glass
302
00:14:56,688 --> 00:14:59,399
that's going into the-- the space,
it's also about the space.
303
00:14:59,983 --> 00:15:01,985
Do you think that's gonna be risky?
304
00:15:02,069 --> 00:15:03,987
I am a little terrified by it.
305
00:15:04,071 --> 00:15:07,240
But I feel like I've been trying
to stick with my gut the whole time.
306
00:15:07,324 --> 00:15:09,284
This final challenge means a lot to me,
307
00:15:09,368 --> 00:15:11,745
so I decided to make,
probably, the smallest piece
308
00:15:11,828 --> 00:15:13,914
I've made in the entire competition.
309
00:15:13,997 --> 00:15:15,332
[chuckles]
310
00:15:15,415 --> 00:15:16,917
I'll leave you to it. And good luck.
311
00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:18,377
-Thanks, Katherine.
-All right.
312
00:15:18,460 --> 00:15:20,253
[intense music playing]
313
00:15:27,844 --> 00:15:30,597
[Minhi] Yeah, looks like fire to me.
314
00:15:31,181 --> 00:15:33,392
In the making of this work
315
00:15:33,475 --> 00:15:38,021
about rising above
the challenges and the hardship in life,
316
00:15:38,105 --> 00:15:41,191
I am actually going through that.
317
00:15:41,900 --> 00:15:45,112
This is definitely a time for redemption.
318
00:15:45,195 --> 00:15:48,699
This is where I get fierce
and I power through.
319
00:15:49,241 --> 00:15:52,577
My only other option is to just,
like, curl up in a ball and give up.
320
00:15:52,661 --> 00:15:54,871
And I'm definitely not doing that.
321
00:15:55,872 --> 00:15:57,332
I'm rising.
322
00:15:59,584 --> 00:16:01,128
[John] I'm assembling this bunny hot.
323
00:16:02,295 --> 00:16:03,296
That's up.
324
00:16:03,380 --> 00:16:06,967
I'm doing it this way because it's the way
that it looks the most natural.
325
00:16:07,509 --> 00:16:10,512
And it's important
for this stuffed animal to look that way.
326
00:16:10,595 --> 00:16:11,430
I like it.
327
00:16:11,513 --> 00:16:12,848
He's laying the right way.
328
00:16:14,099 --> 00:16:16,727
[Minhi] The colors look good. Cool.
329
00:16:16,810 --> 00:16:18,562
[pleasant music playing]
330
00:16:18,645 --> 00:16:20,814
We make the big sphere.
331
00:16:20,897 --> 00:16:24,526
It's not murrine,
but it's in my color palette.
332
00:16:24,609 --> 00:16:26,903
And it's big, it's bold.
333
00:16:26,987 --> 00:16:32,576
And in a lot of ways,
this swirling mass is actually better.
334
00:16:32,659 --> 00:16:34,661
So, I feel good about it.
335
00:16:34,745 --> 00:16:36,747
[John] Okay, everybody lift and pull.
336
00:16:36,830 --> 00:16:38,040
-[clacking]
-Beautiful.
337
00:16:39,416 --> 00:16:40,292
[clacking]
338
00:16:42,461 --> 00:16:43,837
[Minhi] There it goes.
339
00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:46,173
That's the only thing
I have in the annealer.
340
00:16:46,256 --> 00:16:49,217
I have to do everything else, literally.
341
00:16:49,301 --> 00:16:51,219
[suspenseful music playing]
342
00:16:52,179 --> 00:16:53,305
[hissing]
343
00:16:56,058 --> 00:16:58,435
So I have this little flower
I have to make.
344
00:16:58,518 --> 00:17:01,021
It'll be, kind of,
coming out of the inside of the rabbit.
345
00:17:01,104 --> 00:17:02,189
When I first got here,
346
00:17:02,272 --> 00:17:04,691
I was intimidated
by all of the people who were here.
347
00:17:05,609 --> 00:17:08,445
I want to prove to myself
and the world that,
348
00:17:08,528 --> 00:17:11,990
if I stay true to myself and I make
the things that I believe are important,
349
00:17:12,074 --> 00:17:13,492
then I can win.
350
00:17:14,159 --> 00:17:15,368
I like this a lot.
351
00:17:15,452 --> 00:17:16,620
[music fades]
352
00:17:16,703 --> 00:17:18,997
So, we're all working on the darkness.
353
00:17:19,998 --> 00:17:20,916
Together.
354
00:17:20,999 --> 00:17:22,042
[dramatic music playing]
355
00:17:22,125 --> 00:17:24,461
This is a tarry substance
356
00:17:24,544 --> 00:17:29,174
that's trying to drown my main bubble
that's lifting and rising up.
357
00:17:30,300 --> 00:17:31,885
-[George] Got it?
-[Minhi] Got it.
358
00:17:33,428 --> 00:17:39,017
In the annealer, I just boxed the biggest,
darkest black drip of the installation.
359
00:17:39,101 --> 00:17:40,644
[laughs]
360
00:17:41,812 --> 00:17:44,689
Glassblowers, there's 45 minutes left.
361
00:17:44,773 --> 00:17:46,066
[George laughs]
362
00:17:46,149 --> 00:17:49,361
[John] The most important thing
will be to make all these little parts.
363
00:17:49,444 --> 00:17:51,947
We have a lot to do
and not so much time to do it.
364
00:17:52,030 --> 00:17:54,407
So… I'm definitely nervous.
365
00:17:55,450 --> 00:17:57,202
[intense music playing]
366
00:17:58,620 --> 00:17:59,704
Flip.
367
00:18:01,581 --> 00:18:03,125
[John] Okay, flash that for me.
368
00:18:03,208 --> 00:18:04,584
Yes.
369
00:18:05,210 --> 00:18:09,840
So, what makes a great installation
versus just a regular piece?
370
00:18:09,923 --> 00:18:12,634
You're thinking not just
about the composition of an object
371
00:18:12,717 --> 00:18:14,845
but you're thinking
about how to use a space.
372
00:18:14,928 --> 00:18:18,974
It's really difficult for most artists
to work in the installation format.
373
00:18:19,057 --> 00:18:23,186
[Katherine] You really have to, kind of,
think of components or multiples
374
00:18:23,270 --> 00:18:25,689
to kind of make a presence in the space.
375
00:18:25,772 --> 00:18:29,401
The installation,
honestly, in a lot of ways,
376
00:18:29,484 --> 00:18:32,362
can be harder than actually
making the objects.
377
00:18:32,863 --> 00:18:35,115
It's one thing
to put something on a pedestal.
378
00:18:35,198 --> 00:18:38,618
But it's another to make the viewer feel
like you're walking into an environment.
379
00:18:38,702 --> 00:18:40,996
[intense music playing]
380
00:18:42,164 --> 00:18:43,790
Go ahead. Straight down.
381
00:18:44,291 --> 00:18:46,209
-Yeah.
-[sizzling]
382
00:18:48,295 --> 00:18:49,713
[John] These are the parts that go
383
00:18:49,796 --> 00:18:52,257
between the bricks on the ground
and stuff growing between them.
384
00:18:52,924 --> 00:18:54,134
It's gonna be cool.
385
00:18:56,511 --> 00:18:58,680
[Minhi] Already feeling the gooey black.
386
00:18:58,763 --> 00:19:00,640
[suspenseful music playing]
387
00:19:02,642 --> 00:19:04,352
There's 15 minutes left.
388
00:19:04,936 --> 00:19:07,314
Let's get your
final pieces into the annealer.
389
00:19:07,397 --> 00:19:08,940
-[woman] Hot and drippy?
-[Minhi] Yeah.
390
00:19:09,691 --> 00:19:12,777
As time starts to dwindle down,
391
00:19:12,861 --> 00:19:16,114
I feel like I have
enough to see my vision.
392
00:19:16,990 --> 00:19:18,742
[John] If it comes out the way I see it,
393
00:19:18,825 --> 00:19:20,744
it'll be my favorite piece
of the competition.
394
00:19:20,827 --> 00:19:24,206
But I won't know if this is gonna work
until it's installed. [chuckles]
395
00:19:25,540 --> 00:19:27,542
Minhi, there's only five minutes left!
396
00:19:27,626 --> 00:19:29,252
[clacking]
397
00:19:29,336 --> 00:19:30,337
Beautiful.
398
00:19:32,547 --> 00:19:34,591
-On its side is fine.
-[John] Awesome job.
399
00:19:34,674 --> 00:19:36,551
-[Helen] Good job.
-Nice job, guys, seriously.
400
00:19:36,635 --> 00:19:39,137
Ten challenges down.
I'm gonna miss this place.
401
00:19:39,804 --> 00:19:42,933
-[George laughing]
-Go, team! You guys are awesome. [laughs]
402
00:19:43,016 --> 00:19:44,935
Once I nail this installation,
403
00:19:45,018 --> 00:19:45,852
I've made it.
404
00:19:45,936 --> 00:19:47,270
I've made it all the way.
405
00:19:47,354 --> 00:19:49,522
-[John] Congrats.
-[laughing] Thank you.
406
00:19:49,606 --> 00:19:51,566
[suspenseful string music playing]
407
00:19:53,735 --> 00:19:55,862
[John] We'll start
with laying out the bricks.
408
00:19:55,946 --> 00:19:59,199
Then we'll start breaking glass
and piecing that glass around it.
409
00:19:59,282 --> 00:20:00,659
I've done installations before,
410
00:20:00,742 --> 00:20:03,620
but, typically, those take
months and years to create.
411
00:20:03,703 --> 00:20:04,537
[chuckles]
412
00:20:04,621 --> 00:20:06,831
We can build up some depth on it too.
413
00:20:06,915 --> 00:20:11,002
I want the viewer, when they enter,
to see this really serene space.
414
00:20:11,086 --> 00:20:13,922
And then they discover
these elements that are out of place.
415
00:20:14,005 --> 00:20:15,548
The rabbit's gonna go here, yeah.
416
00:20:15,632 --> 00:20:17,259
So it's this corner that he goes in.
417
00:20:17,342 --> 00:20:18,843
[woman] So which one is hanging lower?
418
00:20:18,927 --> 00:20:20,929
-This bottom?
-[man] The black part hangs lower.
419
00:20:21,513 --> 00:20:23,014
[Minhi] Without the sphere,
420
00:20:23,098 --> 00:20:24,975
without that central pillar,
421
00:20:25,058 --> 00:20:26,434
there is no piece.
422
00:20:26,518 --> 00:20:28,186
All right, here we go.
423
00:20:28,812 --> 00:20:32,857
So, that is my focus as I get started.
424
00:20:33,483 --> 00:20:36,278
-I like that. I'll just tack it here.
-Let's do that.
425
00:20:37,862 --> 00:20:40,407
[John] What I'm concerned about
in this installation
426
00:20:40,490 --> 00:20:43,368
is that the rondels we made,
they have to match and line up seamlessly
427
00:20:43,451 --> 00:20:45,203
and appear like the broken floor.
428
00:20:45,287 --> 00:20:46,371
It looks really cool.
429
00:20:47,247 --> 00:20:50,250
-Yeah, and connect it here?
-[man] You want to do that?
430
00:20:50,333 --> 00:20:54,087
[Minhi] I have to think about how
all of the pieces are gonna come together,
431
00:20:54,170 --> 00:20:58,717
and I'm wanting to just fill my side
as much as I can.
432
00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,052
I won't move it at all.
I'll squirt some glue in there.
433
00:21:02,095 --> 00:21:04,431
[Minhi] It's getting
a little bit precarious,
434
00:21:04,514 --> 00:21:08,101
because since everything
is literally connected,
435
00:21:08,184 --> 00:21:10,979
if one thing shifts,
it could take the whole thing down.
436
00:21:11,771 --> 00:21:12,689
[assistants] Whoa!
437
00:21:12,772 --> 00:21:14,024
[man] Watch the back of that.
438
00:21:14,107 --> 00:21:15,525
[woman] Ooh! Ooh.
439
00:21:15,608 --> 00:21:17,444
-[George] Be careful.
-[Minhi] I am.
440
00:21:18,111 --> 00:21:19,654
Living life on the edge.
441
00:21:21,865 --> 00:21:24,743
I think this is my favorite piece
I've made for the competition.
442
00:21:25,452 --> 00:21:28,455
[Minhi] I feel that this
is a great ending piece
443
00:21:28,538 --> 00:21:31,374
because it's about hope
and it's about looking forward.
444
00:21:31,458 --> 00:21:33,543
You guys, we did it.
445
00:21:34,169 --> 00:21:36,379
-[John] Thank you, guys. Awesome job.
-Looks good. Yeah!
446
00:21:36,463 --> 00:21:37,630
You all killed it.
447
00:21:37,714 --> 00:21:39,049
Group hug!
448
00:21:39,632 --> 00:21:41,509
-[George] All right.
-[squeals happily]
449
00:21:41,593 --> 00:21:43,595
[gentle piano music playing]
450
00:21:49,017 --> 00:21:49,851
[clunks]
451
00:21:54,105 --> 00:21:59,986
[Minhi] I hope the evaluators can feel
everything that I've put into this piece,
452
00:22:00,070 --> 00:22:05,367
the struggle and the accomplishment
of working through that struggle.
453
00:22:05,450 --> 00:22:09,913
I've gotten to the other side
of something really dark,
454
00:22:09,996 --> 00:22:12,916
and looking forward is so bright.
455
00:22:14,959 --> 00:22:17,420
[John] The concept
derives from the white space.
456
00:22:17,504 --> 00:22:20,757
The experience I want people to have
is to enter this empty space,
457
00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:23,259
but that underneath of it,
there's this life pushing through,
458
00:22:23,343 --> 00:22:25,053
finding a way to shine.
459
00:22:33,061 --> 00:22:35,438
Welcome to the grand finale gallery.
460
00:22:37,649 --> 00:22:40,318
This is Minhi's side of the gallery.
461
00:22:41,027 --> 00:22:44,697
I'm really thrilled to see
that Minhi has pulled this off.
462
00:22:44,781 --> 00:22:49,411
Totally impressed that she was able
to take something that seemed
463
00:22:49,494 --> 00:22:54,082
like it was going off the rails
and bring it into a cohesive vision.
464
00:22:54,165 --> 00:22:56,418
And I guess that's,
like, what the piece is about.
465
00:22:56,501 --> 00:22:58,044
Being able to pick yourself up
466
00:22:58,128 --> 00:23:01,673
from a really hard time
and still make something powerful.
467
00:23:02,257 --> 00:23:06,428
[Katherine] I really am enjoying
where these stringers or puddles of tar
468
00:23:06,511 --> 00:23:08,805
are coming into contact
with some of the surfaces.
469
00:23:08,888 --> 00:23:11,224
The way this one, kind of, folds over,
470
00:23:11,307 --> 00:23:15,478
I feel like that animation
really helps propel her idea.
471
00:23:15,562 --> 00:23:17,063
Yeah. She's using the space,
472
00:23:17,147 --> 00:23:20,024
and she's using the things
in the space pretty effectively.
473
00:23:20,108 --> 00:23:21,526
[Katherine] Yeah, definitely.
474
00:23:22,026 --> 00:23:23,736
You know, one thing that I do really love
475
00:23:23,820 --> 00:23:28,116
is the real contrast between
the brightness and lightness of this form
476
00:23:28,199 --> 00:23:32,745
versus, like, just the inky blackness
of all of these other forms.
477
00:23:32,829 --> 00:23:35,748
I'm not sure that this solution
with those stripes
478
00:23:35,832 --> 00:23:38,126
is exactly what she was aiming for
at the beginning,
479
00:23:38,209 --> 00:23:40,170
but there is something about that shape
480
00:23:40,253 --> 00:23:43,214
and those colors
that does convey the feeling
481
00:23:43,298 --> 00:23:45,341
of, like, a hot air balloon rising up.
482
00:23:45,425 --> 00:23:49,471
So in that way,
I think she's bringing her concept forward
483
00:23:49,554 --> 00:23:52,724
in a way that's also
pretty visually pleasing and engaging.
484
00:23:52,807 --> 00:23:53,683
Mm-hmm.
485
00:23:53,766 --> 00:23:57,729
But, I am trying not to see
486
00:23:58,438 --> 00:24:01,399
the silicone in different places.
487
00:24:01,483 --> 00:24:06,070
[Katherine] You know, I don't know
if that's just inexperience or time.
488
00:24:06,154 --> 00:24:08,364
You know, there could be lots of reasons,
but I feel like…
489
00:24:08,448 --> 00:24:11,743
I would have wished that that was done
with a little bit more refinement.
490
00:24:13,036 --> 00:24:16,039
[Nick] How hard is it
to make multiple pieces
491
00:24:16,122 --> 00:24:18,625
and bring them all together
for an installation?
492
00:24:18,708 --> 00:24:19,876
[Katherine] It's really hard.
493
00:24:19,959 --> 00:24:22,879
And usually people
spend months prepping and planning,
494
00:24:22,962 --> 00:24:25,131
making parts,
making sure they're gonna work.
495
00:24:25,215 --> 00:24:26,716
To try to do all of this
496
00:24:26,799 --> 00:24:29,469
in such a compressed time frame
is really challenging.
497
00:24:29,552 --> 00:24:31,387
-Which is impressive.
-[Katherine] Mm-hmm.
498
00:24:31,888 --> 00:24:33,806
[intriguing music playing]
499
00:24:36,226 --> 00:24:38,728
[Nick] This is John Moran's
side of the gallery.
500
00:24:39,312 --> 00:24:42,273
"Tossed aside,
the abandoned stuffed bunny,
501
00:24:42,357 --> 00:24:46,152
though torn and broken,
is the source for new life."
502
00:24:46,736 --> 00:24:49,656
He is doing something interesting
playing with the space.
503
00:24:49,739 --> 00:24:52,784
The white, broken tile
is pretty interesting.
504
00:24:52,867 --> 00:24:58,081
Like, it's burst through.
And I dig all the greenery in there.
505
00:24:58,164 --> 00:25:01,876
Seems like that must have been
a lot of time torching together frit.
506
00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:02,794
But I'm not…
507
00:25:02,877 --> 00:25:05,171
I'm having all sorts of feelings…
I guess that's good.
508
00:25:05,255 --> 00:25:07,715
-[both chuckling]
…that I wouldn't have expected.
509
00:25:07,799 --> 00:25:10,802
And I'm not sure
that I have a total conclusion yet
510
00:25:10,885 --> 00:25:12,929
about how I feel like this is working.
511
00:25:13,012 --> 00:25:17,225
Would you maybe say that John
was going the less-is-more route?
512
00:25:17,308 --> 00:25:19,394
I don't see this as being less-is-more.
513
00:25:19,978 --> 00:25:22,939
Because what he does
have here is kinda dense.
514
00:25:23,022 --> 00:25:26,109
There's a lot of detail,
there's a lot of color and texture,
515
00:25:26,192 --> 00:25:27,235
a lot of realism.
516
00:25:27,318 --> 00:25:29,737
Like that bunny looks like it's soft,
517
00:25:29,821 --> 00:25:34,284
and it looks like it's been loved
and dropped out of the stroller,
518
00:25:34,367 --> 00:25:35,702
and maybe hit by a car.
519
00:25:35,785 --> 00:25:37,370
-[laughing] You know?
-Oh, jeez.
520
00:25:37,453 --> 00:25:38,580
I mean, that's a lot.
521
00:25:38,663 --> 00:25:40,582
That's not just giving the idea of it,
522
00:25:40,665 --> 00:25:42,166
that's really embodying it,
523
00:25:42,250 --> 00:25:45,545
so I-- I think he's kind of a maximalist,
524
00:25:45,628 --> 00:25:47,380
uh, when you look at it.
525
00:25:48,047 --> 00:25:50,883
[Katherine] I think it's interesting
that it's activating the floor.
526
00:25:50,967 --> 00:25:52,510
-That's original.
-That is original.
527
00:25:52,594 --> 00:25:55,888
Seems like the jury is still out
whether it paid off or not.
528
00:25:56,639 --> 00:25:59,684
[Nick] What are your thoughts
and feelings about this smaller piece
529
00:25:59,767 --> 00:26:01,853
where the grass is kinda poking through?
530
00:26:01,936 --> 00:26:03,563
You know, I actually love that.
531
00:26:03,646 --> 00:26:07,609
I mean, I feel like that encapsulates
everything he's trying to do.
532
00:26:07,692 --> 00:26:10,820
It's a lot more humble
than what he's got going on over here.
533
00:26:10,903 --> 00:26:14,907
I'm sure he would not feel comfortable
just presenting us with that
534
00:26:14,991 --> 00:26:16,618
when these stakes are so high.
535
00:26:16,701 --> 00:26:18,911
But I actually think
that is really successful.
536
00:26:18,995 --> 00:26:20,121
[gentle music playing]
537
00:26:20,204 --> 00:26:25,084
[Nick] Two very different artists.
Two very different art installations.
538
00:26:25,168 --> 00:26:26,544
[suspenseful music playing]
539
00:26:26,628 --> 00:26:27,795
Deliberation time.
540
00:26:28,546 --> 00:26:31,883
Who made better glass? John or Minhi?
541
00:26:32,592 --> 00:26:35,386
I feel like there were fewer issues
in John Moran's piece, technically.
542
00:26:36,137 --> 00:26:39,098
Minhi's concept was
definitely a little bit more clear
543
00:26:39,182 --> 00:26:41,309
and more clearly articulated in her piece.
544
00:26:41,392 --> 00:26:43,436
There's a lot going on
in John Moran's piece
545
00:26:43,519 --> 00:26:45,438
that, I think, muddies the waters a bit,
546
00:26:45,521 --> 00:26:46,814
but at the same time, maybe,
547
00:26:46,898 --> 00:26:48,024
opens it up for, maybe,
548
00:26:48,107 --> 00:26:50,318
some other kinds
of interpretations as well.
549
00:26:50,401 --> 00:26:53,696
Throughout the competition,
which artist do you think grew more?
550
00:26:53,780 --> 00:26:56,574
John did come in at a high level of skill.
551
00:26:56,658 --> 00:26:59,744
He's shown us that that skill is real,
552
00:26:59,827 --> 00:27:02,080
and that he can do that
over and over again.
553
00:27:02,622 --> 00:27:03,915
Where Minhi started,
554
00:27:03,998 --> 00:27:06,584
with that, sort of,
Venetian-mirror-looking thing,
555
00:27:06,668 --> 00:27:07,960
to where she is now,
556
00:27:08,044 --> 00:27:12,548
that shows an incredible progression,
a real willingness to experiment.
557
00:27:12,632 --> 00:27:13,883
It's pretty incredible.
558
00:27:13,966 --> 00:27:15,468
So you've both made a decision.
559
00:27:15,551 --> 00:27:16,427
Yes.
560
00:27:16,969 --> 00:27:18,179
[dramatic music playing]
561
00:27:18,262 --> 00:27:20,556
[John] This has been
one of the best experiences of my life.
562
00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:23,226
No matter what happens,
I've done everything I came here to do.
563
00:27:23,309 --> 00:27:25,436
And I'm definitely
leaving this competition
564
00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:28,564
as a better artist and, I feel like,
as a stronger human being.
565
00:27:29,941 --> 00:27:31,359
[Minhi] When I first came here,
566
00:27:31,442 --> 00:27:34,821
I thought that I was doing this
for my husband, Jesse,
567
00:27:34,904 --> 00:27:39,325
but now I realize that
I'm doing this for myself.
568
00:27:39,909 --> 00:27:42,578
I genuinely couldn't
have asked for more than that.
569
00:27:44,122 --> 00:27:49,585
Minhi, John, you are two very creative
and determined glassblowers.
570
00:27:49,669 --> 00:27:55,258
I'm impressed and pretty proud to see
what you guys have put together.
571
00:27:55,341 --> 00:27:58,136
Both of your gallery showings
were incredibly ambitious.
572
00:27:58,219 --> 00:27:59,554
It's pretty incredible.
573
00:28:00,138 --> 00:28:01,055
Thank you.
574
00:28:02,056 --> 00:28:06,602
John, this season,
you were one of the "heavy hitters,"
575
00:28:06,686 --> 00:28:08,563
but you never took that for granted.
576
00:28:08,646 --> 00:28:11,190
Time and time again,
you came out swinging.
577
00:28:11,274 --> 00:28:13,317
You never rested on your laurels.
578
00:28:13,401 --> 00:28:16,446
You found a way to deliver
and still be true to yourself.
579
00:28:16,529 --> 00:28:18,948
And that is why you made it to the finale.
580
00:28:19,741 --> 00:28:20,783
Thank you.
581
00:28:20,867 --> 00:28:23,536
-Minhi, our wild card.
-[intriguing music playing]
582
00:28:23,619 --> 00:28:25,580
You showed up shaky.
583
00:28:26,205 --> 00:28:29,917
You were raw with grief
and seemed unsure of yourself.
584
00:28:30,001 --> 00:28:32,336
But throughout the competition,
585
00:28:32,420 --> 00:28:35,631
we watched you
use the hot shop as a way to heal.
586
00:28:36,299 --> 00:28:38,342
Minhi, we believe in you,
587
00:28:38,426 --> 00:28:40,762
and I hope now,
you believe in yourself too.
588
00:28:41,429 --> 00:28:42,263
I do.
589
00:28:42,346 --> 00:28:43,848
[Minhi and John chuckling]
590
00:28:44,515 --> 00:28:46,142
We have come to a decision.
591
00:28:46,225 --> 00:28:47,602
[suspenseful music playing]
592
00:28:47,685 --> 00:28:51,522
This season's Blown Away Champion is…
593
00:28:51,606 --> 00:28:52,690
[music building]
594
00:28:54,776 --> 00:28:56,235
[music fades]
595
00:28:57,320 --> 00:28:58,196
John.
596
00:28:58,279 --> 00:28:59,739
[pleasant music playing]
597
00:29:00,656 --> 00:29:02,909
-You're awesome, Minhi.
-[both] Mm.
598
00:29:02,992 --> 00:29:04,452
So happy to be here with you.
599
00:29:04,535 --> 00:29:07,455
Congratulations, you are
officially Best in Glass.
600
00:29:07,538 --> 00:29:08,623
Thank you so much.
601
00:29:11,083 --> 00:29:13,669
-Thank you, guys, for everything.
-Oh, congratulations.
602
00:29:13,753 --> 00:29:14,629
I'm incredibly proud.
603
00:29:14,712 --> 00:29:17,215
I'm… I don't think I've been
more proud of anything in my life.
604
00:29:17,882 --> 00:29:20,009
When I came here,
I was excited and hopeful,
605
00:29:20,092 --> 00:29:24,680
and now I am the Blown Away Champion,
and, uh, it's still very hard to believe.
606
00:29:24,764 --> 00:29:26,390
-Great job, Minhi.
-[chuckles]
607
00:29:27,475 --> 00:29:30,520
I have learned that the struggle is real.
608
00:29:31,479 --> 00:29:34,190
But if you open your eyes and look around,
609
00:29:34,273 --> 00:29:36,901
I promise that there is
something to smile about.
610
00:29:37,401 --> 00:29:39,195
Thank you, guys, for everything. Really.
611
00:29:39,278 --> 00:29:41,280
-I don't know what to say.
-[all laughing]
612
00:29:41,364 --> 00:29:42,865
You're awesome. [laughs]
613
00:29:42,949 --> 00:29:44,826
I have no idea what's next.
614
00:29:44,909 --> 00:29:46,953
I'm gonna keep going,
making some new work.
615
00:29:47,036 --> 00:29:48,371
And I have some new ideas,
616
00:29:48,454 --> 00:29:50,790
so I'm excited
to-- to go back to the studio, actually.
617
00:29:50,873 --> 00:29:52,750
[closing theme music playing]