By Stephen Paul Day
The lights dimmed as all the students anticipated an exciting lecture from the teacher and German glass artist Erwin Eisch. He was nowhere to be seen and the discord simmered. Suddenly a voice from the lodge’s balcony drew a gasp from below. There was Erwin dressed as a glorious woman, preaching in broken English the need for more women to take their place in the glassblowing world. I was lucky enough to be part of that moment and since have spent over 30 years working alongside Erwin in his art academy, Bild-Werk, in Frauenau Germany.
With his feet firmly rooted in Bavaria’s ancient glass industry, Erwin was perfectly placed to be an artist that found expression through a constant play of material, rebellious disregard for technical priority, and a passionate fervor for instinctual creativity. A true poet and storyteller at heart his philosophy placed primary importance on the idea of individuality in forming unique and significant art.
On Saturday Erwin was laid to rest at the Baroque cathedral he so often visited. He loved the painted walls and ceilings and probably because of this painted for most of his life. He shared that love of color with me and touched the lives of countless artists, students and friends with his work in glass and his thoughts about art and life. We will all miss him so much.
For me, heaven was the small wooden table in Erwin and Gretel’s kitchen. For Erwin, Heaven was the name he gave to his studio at Bild-Werk. Painted on the old plaster walls in colorful brushstrokes is one of his many sayings, “heaven begins on earth”. Well, Erwin has left this earth, but I feel sure he is in a new studio with a handful of old brushes painting the most wonderful pictures of angels and devils.
