An aesthetic test of patience
Mark Welsh’s kinetic sculptures combine captivating aesthetics, a persistent spirit of experimentation, and an invitation to reflect on how social media shapes our attention. In KIMAX® borosilicate glass tubing, the US artist and engineer found an ideal material for staging his challenging creative test of patience.
Turn the arm-thick, gently curved glass tube of the sculpture “Span 3” upside down and, at first, a steel sphere appears to float in the clear, highly viscous silicone at the top, while an air bubble seems suspended at the bottom. But take the time to look more closely and you will notice the sphere slowly sinking as the bubble rises. An oxide layer created on the chrome-plated steel through flame treatment causes the incoming light to shimmer in fascinating colors. The visual effect is particularly striking when the sphere and bubble meet in the middle of the glass tube.
At an ambient temperature of 17 degrees Celsius, the complete journey up and down through the glass tube takes two hours and 45 minutes. It is a provocative test of patience for the viewer – and points to the real theme of Mark Welsh’s work, one that goes beyond art itself.
“In today’s fast-paced world, many people find it uncomfortable to focus calmly on one thing for an extended period of time. Technologies such as social media contribute to this by capturing and fragmenting our attention. They constantly stimulate us, promise instant rewards through their content, and demand continuous interaction. As an artist who thrives on personal interaction and spends a significant amount of time on social media every day, I am very familiar with the neurological effects and downsides of this dependency myself.”
At an ambient temperature of 17 degrees Celsius, the complete journey up and down through the glass tube takes two hours and 45 minutes. It is a provocative test of patience for the viewer – and points to the real theme of Mark Welsh’s work, one that goes beyond art itself.
“In today’s fast-paced world, many people find it uncomfortable to focus calmly on one thing for an extended period of time. Technologies such as social media contribute to this by capturing and fragmenting our attention. They constantly stimulate us, promise instant rewards through their content, and demand continuous interaction. As an artist who thrives on personal interaction and spends a significant amount of time on social media every day, I am very familiar with the neurological effects and downsides of this dependency myself.”
A passion project built with scientific persistence and precision
With the sculptures in his “Span Series,” Mark Welsh wants to encourage people to reflect on how much this digital conditioning has shortened our collective attention span. His passion project also offers a counterpoint to this trend.
Over several years, first in the United States and later in the Netherlands, the trained engineer worked with scientific persistence and meticulous attention to detail on the design and realization of his artwork. He searched for a highly viscous, thixotropic liquid that would slow the descent of a steel sphere to an extreme degree while offering archival stability for 100 years. He experimented with flameworking and tried bending glass tubes himself – until a colleague in the workshop suggested that he try SCHOTT glass.
Over several years, first in the United States and later in the Netherlands, the trained engineer worked with scientific persistence and meticulous attention to detail on the design and realization of his artwork. He searched for a highly viscous, thixotropic liquid that would slow the descent of a steel sphere to an extreme degree while offering archival stability for 100 years. He experimented with flameworking and tried bending glass tubes himself – until a colleague in the workshop suggested that he try SCHOTT glass.
Photo: Angus Fraser
For Mark Welsh, it was a breakthrough moment: “In SCHOTT’s portfolio, I found exactly what I was looking for: glass tubing with a defined bend, combined with high dimensional accuracy, optical quality, and stability. The cylindrical KIMAX® glass also acts like a lens, creating fascinating lighting effects. At the same time, the subtle warm tint of the borosilicate glass enhances and enriches the colors created on the sphere.”
The customer service also impressed him: “As an artist, you very often don’t get any response at all to unusual requests like this. SCHOTT was incredibly accommodating – both in California and later in Europe.”
And there was another unexpected development. During a visit to Welsh’s current home in Amsterdam, his SCHOTT sales partner suggested exhibiting his artworks at the SCHOTT booth at glasstec 2026 in Düsseldorf.
KIMAX® is a registered trademark of DWK Life Sciences LLC. DURAN® is a registered trademark of DWK Life Sciences GmbH.
The customer service also impressed him: “As an artist, you very often don’t get any response at all to unusual requests like this. SCHOTT was incredibly accommodating – both in California and later in Europe.”
And there was another unexpected development. During a visit to Welsh’s current home in Amsterdam, his SCHOTT sales partner suggested exhibiting his artworks at the SCHOTT booth at glasstec 2026 in Düsseldorf.
KIMAX® is a registered trademark of DWK Life Sciences LLC. DURAN® is a registered trademark of DWK Life Sciences GmbH.
Working with SCHOTT means an incredible amount to me as an artist. Whether in the US or Europe, everyone has tried to understand what I wanted to achieve and helped me get the materials I needed to make it happen. By now, I almost feel like part of the family.
Interview with Mark Welsh: Artist, engineer, and multitalented creative
Mark Welsh comes from St. Paul, Minnesota. His varied career has included working as a professional triathlete, screen printer, photography assistant, and swimming coach, to name just a few. He holds a degree in civil and environmental engineering, a background that also influences his artistic career. Today, he divides his time equally between set design and sculptural fine art, working primarily in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York, as well as in Amsterdam, where he currently lives.
Mark, what does your work as a commercial artist in set design involve?
Mark Welsh: I design locations and sets for photography, film, and advertising and also furnish them with props and objects. My clients have included technology companies such as Google and Apple, fashion and furniture brands such as Rothy’s and Thuma, as well as the band Metallica and Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre Company. Sculptural art, however, gives me greater creative freedom to pursue my own ideas.How does your scientific background influence your art?
Mark Welsh: Developing my work often involves a great deal of research. The “Span Series” is a good example of that. I also believe my scientific background motivated me to learn more about how social media is changing our attention and to examine my own behavioral patterns. I also apply for artist residencies that bring research and art together, for example at the Exploratorium museum in San Francisco or at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research near Geneva.Are there any artists or works that inspire you?
Mark Welsh: Mark Rothko inspires me because of his structured approach to work. He would go to his studio at nine in the morning and leave at five – almost every day. I, on the other hand, can become quite obsessive about my work, and suddenly it’s midnight without me even realizing it. But really, I find inspiration every day, for example when I visit exhibitions. There are so many great galleries and museums here in Amsterdam.
October, 2026
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