An attorney with a New York firm where he has practiced for over three decades, Robert Glick is an aficionado who began collecting cigar bands at age 25, drawn to the beauty of their golden details and embossed reliefs.
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Upon a table, something as simple as a coaster awakened the attorney’s artistic aptitudes to transform it into something more, leaning on the aesthetics and elegance that cigar bands could provide.
He soon established a studio in his home and launched Artdefumar, the Instagram account where it all began, and where a sudden surge of followers appeared to enjoy what Robert was creating.
The key to his designs lies in the connection he achieves between each band –pieces that, although they have their own discourse and tell a story by themselves, transform into a single work of art when amalgamated, “in the same way that the tobacco industry becomes one big family.”
The American Flag
Crafting an American flag like the one illustrating the cover of this Special Edition of Humo Latino Global is nothing foreign to Glick, who actually began working alongside the premium tobacco industry with a flag commissioned by Jorge Padrón.
He recalls that while talking to him, among Padrón’s extensive cigar catalog, he found three lines with blue, white, and burgundy bands–“a tone that closely resembles the red of this flag,” Robert notes.
Thus, his first idea was to suggest the artwork; a proposal that Jorge Padrón found attractive and charming, to the point of commissioning three identical pieces: one for himself, another to adorn the lobby of his Miami facilities, and one more to be given as a gift.
“I love working with the colors and shapes of the American flag. Thinking about everything I have crafted –a humidor, a cowboy hat, and now this cover– as an American, it is a great honor to do something I love so that others can see and enjoy it.”
The angle at which this cover was designed meant a higher degree of difficulty for the artist. Robert had to seek the same angles in each band to form every piece of this puzzle that ultimately functions as a whole. “The American flag is purely horizontal, easier to work with, but this design was different; a challenge, and I enjoy challenges.”
The Process
While Robert Glick has worked with his country’s flag on countless occasions, the piece in question held a very special meaning. It was a unique experience as it was crafted during a trip to South Africa. “At that moment, I was not in the United States, and placing each band made me appreciate everything I have back home.”
Accompanied by the perfect cutouts of 16 white stars, this work features bands from brands such as Díaz Cabrera, La Aurora, Arturo Fuente, Aganorsa Leaf, Perdomo, Don Pepín García, Room 101, Drew Estate, C.L.E., Plasencia, Hierba Santa, EP Carrillo, Simón Beltré, Camacho, La Flor Dominicana, Aging Room, West Tampa Tobacco, El Puente, Natura, PDR, Altadis, Tatuaje, AJ Fernández, Valdespina, La Galera, Tabacalera Tamboril, Aladino, Oliva, Davidoff, Illusione, Eiroa, and Ferio Tego, among others, carefully selected to fit within its white, red, and blue tones.
Tobacco Camaraderie
As someone who has traveled the world, Robert Glick observes that there are no differences between people when they smoke. He says that no matter where in the world you find yourself, the connection through a cigar is real and persistent. For him, the cigar functions as a connection to create connections.
“Wherever I am, a cigar is a good way to start a conversation and even a friendship. The camaraderie generated among those involved is impressive.”
Africa as Inspiration
In addition to being an attorney and an artist, Robert Glick is also an amateur photographer, and his recent visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, represented a magnificent opportunity to explore and exploit this talent.
An example of this is his photograph of a zebra, looking straight ahead, contemplating the photographer: “I always wanted an image like that; it was one of my goals and I got it,” he says with pride.
Eventually, this long-awaited image will be filled with black and white bands to merge two of his passions and talents into a doubly original piece.
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