Dylan Martinez Swedish Fish No. 77 For Sale

Dylan Martinez has established himself as one of the most technically accomplished glass artists working today, bringing a conceptual rigor to the medium that elevates his practice beyond traditional craft boundaries. His work sits at the intersection of pop culture commentary and material virtuosity, drawing collectors who appreciate both the demanding physicality of hot glass work and the wry humor embedded in his subject matter. Swedish Fish No. 77 belongs to Martinez's ongoing exploration of American candy iconography, a series that examines mass-produced confections as cultural artifacts worthy of preservation and contemplation. The work transforms a ubiquitous, disposable treat into a substantial sculptural object rendered in glass—a material historically associated with permanence and preciousness. This tension between the throwaway nature of the source material and the labor-intensive process required to realize it in glass forms the conceptual core of the series. The piece demonstrates Martinez's command of multiple glass techniques: the initial form is hot sculpted, then refined through sandblasting to achieve the characteristic matte texture of the original candy, with acid etching providing final surface modulation. At just over thirteen inches in length, the sculpture occupies a scale that feels both intimate and monumental, inviting close examination of the surface qualities that distinguish handmade glass from its industrial counterparts. As the seventy-seventh iteration in this series, the work reflects Martinez's sustained investigation into seriality and variation, with each piece presenting subtle differences in color saturation, form, and finish that reward dedicated collectors of his practice. For acquisition inquiries regarding this work, please contact Guy Hepner.