With all of its moving parts, there are many trending concepts in the cannabis realm. Phenohunting centers a treasure hunt for popular plants, with growers traveling and trading to find the best new flavors. Production companies are often chasing ingredients for inventive edibles. And in the glass world, hype tech comes in many forms. However, one artist is eight years deep in a passion project that defies the concept of trending.
RELATED: You could fail a drug test without getting high
EF Norris has been making Ganymede Artifacts for eight years, hard-to-find pieces that feature exceptional technique. Reading an article about how the moons in our Solar System could support life inspired the glass artist to create the first artifact named after Jupiter’s moon.
“From there, I kinda imagined a story of long gone civilizations that lived on these moons, leaving behind these artifacts,” Norris told GreenState. “I’ve made Titan and Europa artifacts as well.”
While some will always love classic beaker, bulb, and tube bong shapes–the bulbous bubbler could be gaining momentum. Norris shared the last two Ganymede Artifacts on popular Reddit community glassheads to heavy upvotes and kudos in the comments. And while this is surely appreciated, the project is about more than accolades. Norris is leaving behind a legacy, one artifact at a time.
How Ganymede Artifact pipes are created
The Artifacts are pipes that use two extremely difficult glass-blowing techniques into a style inspired by artist Lino Tagliapietra. Norris often uses the Encalmo method of fusing two glass colors together, as seen in his Color of Sound series. He also features reticello, an equally difficult art where two blown glass canes are organized into a crisscross netting pattern. This decor is built into the thoughtfully formless shape of the artist’s Ganymede series, a functional piece that seemingly breaks the mold.
“I think a large part of the appeal is they don’t look like your everyday pipe,” Norris explained. “So when you see them, your first thought is it’s just a glass sculpture, but then you find out you can also use that sculpture.”
Over the years, he has displayed some with numbers while listing others as “Ganymede Artifact.” There are smol boys that fit in the palm of Norris’s hand in display photos and others that stand a bit taller.
RELATED: Product offers a truly new cannabis experience
What they all share is a bit of whimsy and a lot of skill. These pieces could sit on a shelf in someone’s home and easily blend in as a vase or sculpture. Little do people know, there is a carb, mouthpiece, and bowl piece on each. Norris showcases some of his more intricate Encalmo and reticello work in the Artifact series, with each piece building on the last.
EF Norris Ganymede Artifacts
Function glass and fine art collectors may question why Norris sprinkles Artifacts into his work rather than making them a prominent feature. His answer is simple.
“It’s a project I love to do but have decided to not make too many of, so they can be a little more rare,” Norris said. “Like most artifacts.”
Eight years after he created the first Ganymede Artifact, Norris hopes he can continue for at least eight more. Those who engage with this facet of the weed world likely do, too.
