When I think of fucking, I usually don’t think of “sculptures” as the second word but the company so aptly named “Fucking Sculptures” is about to change that. With the booming acceptance of glass dildos in the last 10 years, mass production has taken over the origins of carefully made and hand crafted tools that you stick in where the sun don’t shine.
Glass dildos have most likely been around since the beginning of when glass was originally made, oh, around 3000 B.C., which is a pretty long time ago. Glass is like no other material for sex toys … it can be crystal clear or colored, have shapes and designs within it, can be absolutely smooth or as bumpy as alligator skin. Glass dildos can be straight, wildly curved, twisted, distorted, huge, small, well, only the imagination is the limit to what glass artists can design and execute.
Since each piece is carefully handmade, we can truly focus on the shape and subtle curve of every twist and bump, intent on the end result — beauty and pleasure. — Maria Anne, co-founder, Fucking Sculptures
So what makes Fucking Sculptures so unique besides the name?
According to Maria Anne, cofounder of Fucking Sculptures, what distinguishes their glass artwork with others is that they conscientiously try not to think of it as a “market” at all. “Since each piece is carefully handmade, we can truly focus on the shape and subtle curve of every twist and bump, intent on the end result — beauty and pleasure” she said. “Aside from that there are perhaps a few more obvious differences — color, for one. We use opaque, elegant, muted colors for our regular line of dildos which is an esthetic preference of [Fucking Sculptures co-founder and primary glass blower] Lee’s.”
Lee felt that typical clear glass dildos seem to be some strange hybrid offshoot of bongs and marbles and knew that creating unusual shapes would make Fucking Sculptures rise above the glass toys on the marketplace. Maria Anne added “We have been told again and again that the shapes of Fucking Sculptures are unique and curiously captivating. Lee would like me to add that he is physically, spiritually, psychically, emotionally and personally opposed to mechanization and duplication. In other words - we couldn’t make pieces like everyone else even if we wanted to. Our dildos will forever be different than the rest, and we’re just thrilled with that.”
But how does an enterprising couple meet and decide to go into the glass dildo field? Lee often chuckles that he and Maria Anne met in a bar, which is only partially true. But as luck would have it, they became friends and lovers, and, as Lee is a glassblower, one thing led to another and pretty soon they were making dildos. Now if more couples had such an enchanting story, imagine where the sex toy world would be these days!
Creating toys with soda lime glass in their art studio “near the tracks” in Berkeley, Calif., Fucking Sculptures has been around for two years. When trying to think of a name for their company, Lee and Marie Anne simply thought of the obvious: their glass dildos were made for fucking and yes, they are actually sculptures, so they decided to incorporate both names and create the company. But having the “f word” for the name of the company has posed some problems.
Marie Anne was asked why exactly did they choose that name? “It was sheer stupidity. As clever as it may be, the amount of red tape it took to get that name cleared was a giant pain in the ‘a word,” she sighed. Her advice: “To any young entrepreneurs out there: don’t do it.” What it boils down to is a reflection of Lee’s sense of humor about the art world. In addition, each piece gets it’s own name, handwritten on the card that comes with it, just curve to them and Marie Anne elaborated on that. “I believe in general that what sets glass dildos apart from all other dildos is literally the fact that it’s made of glass and glass is hard. I had certainly tried other dildos before that I thought were ‘hard’ but I will never forget the first time I used a glass dildo. That kind of solid pressure is unlike any other, beside perhaps metal. And that firmness makes it ideal for G-spot pleasure.”
As a trained sex educator (through San Francisco Sex Information), Marie Anne values any opportunity to share knowledge, empower people through learning and exploration, and help erase the cultural shame surrounding sexuality. With that in mind, she and Lee felt that most women are definitely interested in exploring G-spot pleasure as many have yet to find their G-spot or really determine what forms of physical stimulation work for them in that area. With more women interested in female ejaculation these days, many women find it easier to achieve with the use of their dildos. Another distinguishing feature is that Fucking Sculptures dildos are not meant for thrusting, but rather penetration, pressure and deep exploration.
Choosing a glass dildo takes thought and using one’s tactile senses plays into the Fucking Sculptures’ mission statement and beliefs. Marie Anne feels that brick-and-mortar stores are better equipped to sell their wares with the power and love that their products are created with. She believes that choosing a dildo, or any sex toy, is an incredibly personal experience best done in person. Maybe even more so when it comes to glass since the weight and the texture are just so unique to the medium. When handled and purchased in a store, one can see it in a person’s eyes the first time they actually touch one of the Fucking Sculptures pieces. Yet there is still much stigma around glass toys (especially about the unfounded fears of glass dildos breaking), despite how long glass dildos have been available in stores. The more that people are able to touch them, feel them, and really be turned on by them, the better it will be for everyone. But for those people unable to visit a shop, Fucking Sculptures tries to make the online experience as accessible as possible by posting measurements, photos and reviews, and being available to answer any questions.
