**1st Place Winner, Artwork Valued Over $1k**

Manhattan - White glass, flameworked, 2024, cocktail forward trash assemblage

"I got involved in craft at an early age with metalsmithing, making jewelry and small objects from wood, stone and other organic materials. When I first had the chance to play around with glass, I was instantly drawn to the material with delight and intrigue. Then one day, I stumbled upon a dented soda can and decide to replicate it. The finished can spoke to me instantly. it was cool, it was curious. It didn't fit in, it had no place. It was an outsider. Everyone I showed it to had a curious face. I started to hear things like "It's just a can?" or "Why would you make something you can just pick up in the street?" I dove in deep, mimicking every piece of trash I could find. coffee cups, energy drinks, cigarette packs, beer bottles, you name it. I'm also finding out that this mimicry of trash demands deeper reaction and thought from the viewer and from myself. Making the trash has led me into an interrogation of the life cycle of plastic, glass, aluminum, and paper. I've investigated laws and practices revolving around resource extraction, manufacturing processes, advertising, government regulations, and lobbying. I've been forced to look more honestly at the impacts these objects of convenience have on environment, nutrition, consumption, and human behavior. This trash glass series has really changed how I see glass and the reasons why I make objects." Matt Eskuche

13"W x 13"H x 10"L

The Live Auction will take place Sep. 20 at 8pm ET. Bid live at the event, place bids online via Live Auctioneers, or submit absentee bids by contacting Heather McElwee at 412-365-2145 or [email protected]."