Glass artist hopes to donate 9/11 piece to New York City

TRANSPARENCY-Calabasas glass artist Paul Greenfield crafted two memorials to 9/11, including this 6-by-6-foot pentagon-shaped glass sculpture that depicts the Twin Towers with approaching aircraft. The names of the thousands of Sept. 11, 2001 victims are etched into the background. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 affected Americans in similar but unique ways. Calabasas resident Paul Greenfield, a glass artist, created a fragile memorial. He donated the 4-foot glass pentagon with its Twin Towers to the Los Angeles County Fire Department two years ago.

Dedicated to emergency workers, the memorial is displayed at the fire department's Los Angeles headquarters. Then Greenfield went to work on a larger version which he wants to donate to New York City.

The second, larger version is about 6-feet tall and 6-feet wide, and is etched with the names of the 9/11 victims.

Greenfield, a self-taught conceptual and glass artist, has worked in glass for more than 40 years. He's created pieces for Warner Bros., Bob Dylan and many notable companies and figures.

"This is the first time I ever made a piece that was public," Greenfield said. "It has a greater meaning than what I've previously done. It wasn't just a private piece for someone."

As a child, Greenfield's father taught him how to cut glass. In college, Greenfield responded to a newspaper ad calling for people interested in learning to work with stained glass.

"Afterwards, I went back to my apartment, made a (glass) guitar and colored notes coming out of it," Greenfield. "Then I went outside and I sold it. I said, 'Holy mackerel,' and I made another piece. I made a chessboard, went outside and sold that."

Greenfield said at that point he found his calling. He opened a shop and created pieces to sell. He also taught children how to work with glass.

Greenfield has lived in Calabasas for about 10 years. He's self-employed as a glazier, someone who installs glass and mirrors.

Asked why he enjoys working with glass, Greenfield said he loves the fact that those who work in the breakable medium must have a lot of patience. Finished glass pieces can be very captivating, he said. Light enters a piece and refracts off the various edges and angles, and a certain light can create different colors within the glass.

He began work on the first memorial piece after the 9/11 attacks. Both memorials share the Twin Towers concept and are shaped as pentagons.

Greenfield finished the second work less than a year ago. The process was long and hard, but not constant, he said. He and his helpers worked on it when they could. While they were making the piece, they had to start over because they had broken the work-in-progress on a few occasions.

Greenfield received a lot of help. Friends in the glass industry donated glass and labor. One friend even provided a place to work.

During the memorial's creation, Greenfield documented the work as a seven-minute DVD that he's sent to as many people as possible.

"I'm trying to get as much exposure as I can with it," Greenfield said. He said he hopes the right person sees the DVD and will help him get the memorial to New York City.

"Being a New Yorker, born in New York City, I wanted to get this memorial to New York City," Greenfield said. "I hope that people could see it, and at some level always be reminded of what happened on that day."