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LIKE THE METAL-AND-GLASS sculptures he creates, Reza Pishgahi is a study in contrasts. The computer whiz spent years pursuing higher education, earning a doctor­ate in instructional-systems technology. He designs advanced educational technology at Indiana University full-time and also teaches IUPUI computer courses. He has no for­mal art training. Still, Pishgahi, owner of Bloomington's New Motion Studio, consid­ers art to be his main job. "The other ones," he states seriously, "are my hobbies.

Judging by the reaction to his contemporary yard sculptures and other artwork, it may not be long before Pishgahi is able to pursue his artistic visions full-time. Last year, the artist's sculptures elicited strong responses at six Midwestern art shows, where visi­tors remarked that he had succeeded in creating something "entirely new," Pishgahi

recalls. One Chicago patron went so far as to say, "I could buy a bunch of these and start a new religion”. (Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, that one of Pishgahi’s first requests for a commission piece came from a Bloomington Church.)

Such acclaim would be welcome by any artist, but it is especially gratifying to Pishgahi, who launched his creative pur­suits only six years ago. By that time, already settled in his career at IU, Pishgahi began looking for a means of self-expression. He turned to art for purely practical purposes. "I was always interested in nice, quality artwork and furniture, but I could never afford them," Pishgahi explains. "So, I started making them." Soon, coffee tables, wall hangings and other decorative items accented Pishgahi's Bloomington home. But he didn't stop there. He decided to pursue his "great passion for glass" by enrolling in glass-blowing classes. Next, he converted a third garage to a glass "hot shop," designing all its elements. Soon, visitors to Pishgahi's home began clamoring to buy his creations.

The artist, they insisted, should market his creations to the public. Pishgahi liked the idea, but before that could happen, he reluctantly determined that he had to abandon his glass-blowing operation. The process itself was not only expensive but also exhausting, and since the equip­ment was not used regularly, it had become damaged. The decision, however necessary, was a keen disappointment.

Fortunately, it was also a short-lived one. Not long after that decision, a friend showed up at Pishgahi's home with a large amount of surplus sheet glass. As Pishgahi was storing the pieces in his garage-turned-studio, his eyes were drawn to the abandoned glass-blowing equipment. Inspiration struck. He could use glass in a different context. Metal and welding tools beckoned, and he began "playing around" with the discarded glass and metal. Right away, he knew he was on to something big. "I immediately sensed that it clicked," Pishgahi recalls. "I was able to come up with new designs very rapidly."

Pishgahi's glass-blowing skills were a key component in those new creations. The knowledge gained through classes and previous projects enabled him to expertly fuse glass, add color and com­bine glass types. This expertise is evident in the variety of glass patterns seen in Pishgahi's works: clear, opaque, shat­tered, layered, rainbow and single-hued. While the artist does turn out some designs made exclusively from metal, the pieces featuring metal and glass perhaps present the biggest challenge—but also provide the greatest satisfaction. "The beauty I see is the contrast between these two materials, which are quite at odds with each other," Pishgahi explains.

The inspiration for his creations comes from both nature and nurture. Pishgahi takes daily walks in the woods surrounding his Bloomington home, reveling in the birds and other small creatures. He also uses the opportunity to reflect on growing up in a completely different culture and how those experi­ences affect his art.   "I'm very much working to be a compassionate person and accept differences in other people," Pishgahi says. "Some of my sculptures have been reflective of my inner core."

Finished pieces may be as small as 10 inches square or as large as eight feet high and 10 feet wide, with themes that range from geometric to whimsical. One of his first commissioned works—requested by the Unitarian Universalist Church in Bloomington—was designed to celebrate cultural diversity. Two arms with over­lapping metal shapes hold a circle aloft, representing hope. The sculpture hit its mark; in fact, two people were so taken by it that they asked to buy smaller ver­sions of the piece for personal display.

As if a full-time IU job, part-time IUPUI teaching duties and a growing art career weren't enough to keep Pishgahi busy, he has recently taken on some high-end interior-design projects.  Not surprisingly, he specializes in incorporat­ing artwork within  a  home's  design, focusing on colors, shapes, textures and reflective attributes.

How does he find the stamina to jug­gle all of these pursuits? Support from his wife, friends and patrons, the artist says, plus the joy he receives from his creative efforts. "I find artwork very invigorat­ing," Pishgahi explains. "I'm accomplish­ing something beneficial, and that gives me a lot of energy." To view Pishgahi s work, check out the artists Web site at www.pishgahi.com.