SXSW 2012

“Degenerate Art” tells the story of glass pipe-making from the origins of the “color-changing” pipe, to the radical emerging art movement it has become today. Despite federal laws, pipe-makers have created a whole new genre of American folk art. A huge multi-million dollar industry has formed around this taboo culture. This subversive art challenges our right to free speech and expression, as well as reflecting the nature of the people who make and collect the pieces. One of the last true underground American scenes, glass pipe art remains invisible to mainstream culture.