Martin Blank discusses working with Lino Tagliapietra during Chihuly’s 1992 Venetian series demonstration at NYEGW. Oral history interview with Martin Blank by Barb Elam, conducted via telephone, January 31, 2020, Bard Graduate Center. Clip length: 01:17.

Martin Blank: And so as I’m watching Lino, I can see that he’s sort of looking like he’s trying to sort of see around the other side. So I’ll turn, turn, turn, and then I could see him move in, and I’ll just instinctively know, firm up on the blowpipe, hold it tight, steady, he’s going to push. And then he does, he reaches right in. And if it’s not quite right, he’ll give me a little twitch with his hands, like a little signal, like he’s like—imagine like if you’re reaching out for a glass of wine or a glass and then you shake your hand, like you’re turning clockwise to turn it clockwise, or, or counterclockwise. That’s his hand saying little more, little more, little more, little more, and then it’ll dive in or it, or if a big gesture, that means turn a lot, turn a lot, turn a lot. But if it’s these little shakes clockwise, I know, ‘Okay, turn a little bit, a little bit. Stop, freeze, anchor. Here comes the piece,’ and then he’ll turn with his head, he’ll nod his head, ‘To the right to the right, more and more and more.’ And they’ll be, and then he’ll use some Italian ‘Gira, gira, gira, basta,’ you know, turn, turn, stop. ‘Ferma, ferma,’ you know, that means hold it tight, you know, strong, be strong. And then he’d be also like, ‘Pieno,’ slowly, slowly, and then, ‘Perfetto, mi piace.’ That’s perfect. I like it.