Elbo has one of the most recognized styles in the glass industry with his unique dinosaur style, however he is more than just a glass artist…
[Elbo working on a collaboration piece with Coyle Condenser (Instagram)]
The Philadelphia native first began to work with soft glass while attending the Tyler School of Art and Architecture but he didn’t begin working with Borosilicate glass until 2009 when he stated producing pipes. Moving from soft to Borosilicate glass requires learning different techniques, which he credits Zach Puchowitz of Ouchkick, for inspiring and teaching him the skills required to work Boro on a torch.
Now a few years into his Borosilicate journey, Elbo moved to Colorado in 2013 where he solidified his status in the industry when he joined Everdream Studio, an place where all creative outlets can blossom and the distraction free environment where he brings dinosaurs to life like John Hammond’s lab. “Glass, uh, finds a way…”
Right after moving to Colorado he came together with JOP! (Joshua Opdenaker) in 2014 and opened Front Street Gallery (Instagram) in his home of Philadelphia. A space established to thrust Philly’s most influential and beloved glass artists into the limelight, somewhere glass collectors can scoop their next addition or fans can appreciate the newest work from modern flameworkers. Elbo believes that functional glass art and pipe making has the potential to become another form of high-end art, stating; “I want pipe making to be synonymous with high-end art, but I don’t believe its there yet. I thought it was but the more I’m exposed to true high-end art, I see that pipe making has a long way to go”. However the cannabis world and industry’s linked still being a controversial subject for some, “The biggest hurdle we have to get over is the close-mindedness in the industry. We need to take bigger risks, create things not for other people to see but what we want to see. If people begin to do that in our industry, it will naturally evolve into a higher worm of art.”
[Elbo x Avatar glass x Yoshinori Kondo]
Outside his success in the glass world, Elbo built a business around his iconic style. He has branched out to producing NFTs (non-fungible tokens), plushies, and vinyl toys inspired by his glass work, using proven marketing techniques to cement his brand into the minds of the community. Elbo even dabbles in the tech space further by working in collaboration with Blunt Action he sought to create an immersive experience where users could interact with 3D computer generated assets using an augmented reality app.
[Elbo NFT – 3D model of one of his dinosaurs with cutaway section]
[Elbo x WHATEVER FOREVER 6” Vinyl figure]