Taming Lightning – Details, episodes & analysis

Blog: www.taminglightning.net

Instagram @taminglightning

Support on Patreon.com/taminglightning

 💰This episode is sponsored by Corning Museum of Glass!

Hello Lightning Tamers, Percy here, this is episode number 64! In today's podcast, I'm excited to welcome Rïse Peacock, an artist, curator, and educator with over a decade of experience in the educational and nonprofit art sectors. Currently the first Curatorial Fellow of Postwar and Contemporary Glass at the Corning Museum of Glass. Rïse approaches curating, teaching, and artmaking from an interdisciplinary perspective, with a specific focus on queer histories, material culture, and luminous phenomena. They have curated notable exhibitions such as Big Mood and the Women Create Biennial in Jamestown, NY. Today, we'll dive into Rïse's curatorial work, their artistic journey, and their fascination with light-based art, including the significance of Geissler tubes CMoG's collection.

Welcome to the podcast Rïse Peacock!

Music Credits

• Preview - Retro by ONE 

• The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan   

• Spoonsor - Good2Go by ONE 

• Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop

Episode Time Stamps

[0:31] Sponsored by the Corning Museum

[1:52] Introducing Rise Peacock

[4:13] The Role of a Curatorial Fellow

[7:59] Exhibition Development and Artist Advocacy

[9:31] Understanding Geissler Tubes

[15:09] Historical Significance of Geyser Tubes

[19:58] Geissler Tubes and Artistic Practice

[24:02] The Intersection of Art and Curation

[27:32] Exploring Luminous Phenomena

[32:24] Materiality and Light in Art

[36:51] Navigating Interdisciplinary Practices

[41:36] Curatorial Challenges with Light Works

[47:14] Merging Art and Curation

[49:50] Dismantling the Curatorial Lore

Blog: www.taminglightning.net

Instagram @taminglightning

Support on Patreon.com/taminglightning

Guest Instagram: @dani.kaes

Hello, Lightning Tamers! Percy here, and welcome to episode 63 of the Taming Lightning Podcast. Today, I'm thrilled to chat with "Dani" Kaes, a talented light artist and educator based in Seattle, Washington.

With a degree in Biochemistry from the University of Puget Sound, Dani brings a scientific lens to her neon practice. She's also a passionate educator, deeply committed to open access to information, ensuring the neon community continues to grow and evolve, sharing her knowledge at places like Pilchuck Glass School, the Museum of Neon Art, and the Glass Art Society.

In this episode, we'll take a lightning round of different topics—like how different gases influence the colors we see in neon art, why color theory is such a big part of the process, and nd the science behind vacuum systems and gas mixtures.  We'll also get into some of the more technical topics like getters (or whatever Dani prefers to call them), Penning mixtures, and ionization efficiency—but don't worry, Dani has a knack for making it all easy to follow.

We'll also hear how her scientific background has shaped her artistic approach, the questions in neon she's still curious to explore, and—of course—we'll talk The Boy, her energetic furball of feline who's always by her side.

So, settle in for a great conversation with someone who's not just making neon art but also advancing the craft with curiosity, humor, and a scientific edge. 

Welcome to the podcast, Dani Kaes!

Time Stamps

• [0:28] Introduction to Dani Kays
• [4:19] Dani's Artistic Journey
• [7:01] Exploring Color Theory
• [11:06] The Science of Gases
• [16:41]Understanding O-Rings
• [19:17] Getters in Neon Production
• [22:59] The Impact of Temperature
• [26:09] Gas Mixtures and Their Effects
• [31:12] The Boy: Dani's Feline Companion
• [39:48] Closing Thoughts and Future Episodes

Music credits

• Preview - Retro by ONE 

• The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan   

• Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop

Episode Sponsored by Alta-Robbins

Blog: www.taminglightning.net

Instagram @taminglightning

Support on Ko-fi.com/taminglightning and Patreon.com/taminglightning

This is episode number 54. And in today's podcast, recorded May 18th, 2023, I'll be joined by Kate Herron on the second to last day teaching a workshop at the Toledo Museum of Art's Glass Pavilion! We'll talk with Kate and her experience making art through covid, what brought her to glass, Alfred University program and her introduction to Neon, teaching plasma at Toledo, and what's next after getting her Masters in Fine Arts!

Music Credits: 

• Preview - Retro by ONE 
• The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan   
• Sponsor - Good2Go by ONE 
• Patreon Promo  - Next Time by Hayku
• Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop

Blog: www.taminglightning.net

Instagram @taminglightning

Support on Ko-fi.com/taminglightning and Patreon.com/taminglightning

Hello Lightning Tamers!

This is episode number 53. In today's podcast, recorded April 8th, 2023, I'll be joined by Ethan Samaha AGAIN and this time featuring Zach Layhew, where we talk about Ethan's most recent residency at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Here we talk about the application process for residency, Pulling Tubing for Neon: its challenges, Navigation color palettes, and the importance of residency when trying new ideas.

Welcome Back to the Podcast Ethan and Zach!

Music Credits: 

• Preview - Retro by ONE 
• The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan   
• Patreon Promo  - Next Time by Hayku
• Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop

Blog: www.taminglightning.net

Instagram @taminglightning

Support on Ko-fi.com/taminglightning and Patreon.com/taminglightning

Hello Lightning Tamers this is episode number 52. And in today's podcast, recorded Dec 2nd, 2021, I'll be joined by Light and Space Artist, Ethan Samaha.

Ethan Samaha holds a BFA in Art + Design,a  focus in Sculpture and Dimensional Studies, with minors in Performance Design and Technology and Dance, from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University.

Ethan is visiting here in Pittsburgh for the week, and had reached out me to meet up and talk about neon and plasma. I was working in studio , and suggested we'd meet at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. After giving a tour of PGC, and about 2 hours of nerding out about plasma illumination, we decided to record a podcast. 

In the next episode, we have the pleasure of hearing from Ethan himself as he delves into his fascinating color choices and palette for pulling tubing using the furnace blown glass and color. Get ready for an insightful discussion you won't want to miss!

Music Credits: 

• Preview - Retro by ONE 
• The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan   
• Patreon Promo  - Next Time by Hayku
• Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop

Blog: www.taminglightning.net

Instagram @taminglightning

Support on Ko-fi.com/taminglightning and Patreon.com/taminglightning

Hello Lightning Tamers!

This is episode number 51. And in today's podcast,  I'll be joined by Wayne Strattman, an innovator in lighted glass plasma technology, as an artist, designer, researcher, teacher, advocate, and author. Having recently published a new book called 'The Art of Plasma: Creating lighted sculpture with gas, glass and electricity, Strattman reveals the history, theory, and practice of plasma art, and from that history, we'll be talking about plasma lighting before the discovery of inert gases talking about one of the under-recognized pioneers of gas discharge lighting known as Daniel McFarland Moore for his Moore Tubes

I hope you enjoyed the podcast. 

Thank you Wayne for another podcast. And you my listener, please check out his book 'The Art of Plasma', it has a very well organized history of our field from the technology and innovators that make what we do possible and all in bite sized readings that you can use to dig deeper. If your interested in hearing some of those histories let me know, I'd love to share them with you!

Music Credits: 

• Preview - Retro by ONE 
• Patreon Promo  - Next Time by Hayku
• The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan   
• Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop

Support on Ko-fi.com/taminglightning and Patreon.com/taminglightning

Hello Lightning Tamers!

This is episode number 50. And in today's podcast, recorded July 16, 2021 on the closing night for the Exhibition LIT: Light in Transmission, I'll be joined by Vicky A Clark to talk about her background as an independent curator, writer, and critic, as well as insights on the exhibition. 

Thank you Vicky for your time on the podcast, your review, and your advice. 

I'd like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as a place of research and inspiration, in addition to their support via the Advance Black Arts in Pittsburgh Grant that funded the exhibition LIT: Light in Transmission. Plasma Art Alliance and the Facebook group Neon and Plasma Art for Beginner, where I have access to the well of knowledge and connects me to some amazing and supportive people. 

Music Credits: 

• Preview - Retro by ONE 
• Patreon Promo  - Next Time by Hayku
• The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan   
• Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop

Blog: www.taminglightning.net

Instagram @taminglightning

This is episode 49 and in today's podcast I'll be reading a review on an exhibition I curated called  LIT: Light in Transmission which was shown in Hodge Gallery at the Pittsburgh Glass Center last year in 2021 from February 5 and extended until July 28. This is the second exhibition I've curated the first being in 2017 an ISU Alumni exhibition from Glass Progam, and so I find this to be valuable to have documented thoughts and interpretations of what I've helped create. This goes double for the podcast and any of the video guides, and content, I produce. Your feedback is valuable. The following review is by Pittsburgh-based independent curator and critic Vicky A. Clark who is an art historian and author specializing in contemporary art and was written for Issue 163 of the Glass Quarterly Magazine, as a heads up, in the next episode I have a conversation with Vicky learn about her background and share insights about the exhibition.

• Preview - Retro by ONE 
• Patreon Promo  - Next Time by Hayku
• The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan   
• Sponsor - Good2Go - ONE
• Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop

Hello Lightning Tamers! This is episode number 48 and in this podcast returning to Taming Lightning, I'll talk about what I learned during my hiatus both in plasma and career, update on the podcast scheduled through the end of 2022, and talk about What I'm doing now!

Support on Ko-fi.com/taminglightning and Patreon.com/taminglightning

• Music credits to the following artists in order of appearance:
• The Art of dying quote from Bruce Lee from Longstreet 
• The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan   
• Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop

Blog: www.taminglightning.net

Instagram @taminglightning

• Music credits to the following artists in order of appearance:
• Preview - Sung Jin Woo Rap | "Arise" by Daddyphatsnaps 
• The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan   
• Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop

Hello Lightning Tamers!

This is not an episode. So in today's podcast, I'm going to give a little announcement about Taming Lightning going on a hiatus. 

YES, you heard that right a hiatus.I've officially planned for the hiatus to start July and to end in October, 2022. 

The reason for this hiatus is well, I need to take time to stop adapt to my most recent life events and changes: New Job, Moving to a new place, and Teaching and Assisting - Summer workshops!

Before I go, I need to ask a favor. If you could, I'd like you to got to taminglightning.net, and leave a comment about what you'ld like to hear about on the podcast, it could be something from a previous guest or something new. I'd love to hear it, so I can help share it.

If you like to support Taming Lightning, subscribe to the newsletter on www.taminglightning.net, or follow on instagram @taminglightning, other options for support are one-time donations through Ko-Fi, or you join me on Patreon for additional perks and benefits. I'll have links provided in the show notes. Feel free to share, comment, and subscribe.

As always Be Safe, Be Healthy, and Be Strong, and I'll See you next time. 

-Percy Echols II, Taming Lightning