Martha Savery was born in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania in 1980. She had a happy childhood and began studying classical music at the age of 8. She studied a variety of instruments including the viola, saxophone, bassoon and bass. After winning a series of honors and competitions for classical music she felt unsatisfied creatively and decided to be an artist. She has been blowing glass for seven years, and has studied at the Tyler School of Art and Salem Community College. In 2003 she received a scholarship from the Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass and in 2004 completed a 5-month assistantship residency at the Creative Glass Center of America in Millville, New Jersey. She was awarded a scholarship to attend the famous Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State in August, 2007. She currently lives in her studio in North Philadelphia, which is also a martial arts dojo.
Artist's Statement
These pieces are fantastical illusions. They are not meant to compete with nature, but to honor and dignify it and cause the viewer to quietly reflect on the power of natural phenomena. More than anything, I want to convey a sense of wonder, awe and reverence for natural growths and forms. My use of man made architectural remnants combined with the glass flowers is both symbolic of the human hand and a reflection of the urban deterioration I witness every day. The things we build for shelter and beauty are impermanent and weak compared to the forces of time and space that shape our existence. Natural forces will eventually outlast and overpower us if we do not change the way we live. These objects are meant to visually demonstrate the intersection of human and natural forces, which overpower the intentions of humans.