OTHER VOICES
The Lure of Glass
by Don Albright
April 2008
Man
has been making glass in one form or another since about 3,500 BC
– just opaque glass beads useful for decoration and trade –
and it wasn't until the 16th century BC that the technique
of creating glass vessels developed. The Syrians in the first
century BC are credited with learning the technique of glassblowing,
which the Romans later spread throughout their empire. The Romans
apparently were the first to blow the glass into a form, thus making
possible different shapes and repetitive designs. Germans in the 1100s
began experimenting by cutting the blown glass globule and flattening
it out into a more or less plate glass. These pieces were never large,
so they were joined together with lead, leading to the stained glass
windows found in early cathedrals. In the middle ages, the industry was
focused in Venice where hundreds of craftsmen made glass to be shipped
throughout Europe and the Middle East. In time, so many fires
occurred in the crowded city of Venice, that glass-making was moved to
Murano Island, a few miles from Venice. Also, the Doge of Venice, to
protect the secrets involved in the industry, would not permit the
craftsmen to leave the island and others were not allowed to visit.
After
a while, of course, the techniques did get out and were spread world
wide. Ultimately, glass became a common, inexpensive, everyday product
used in countless ways. The collecting of antique bottles, both for
their history and their design, and the art of making stained glass
windows, provided a niche for collectors and admirers of artistic
expression. However, more and more artists have looked into the
possibilities of glass as a fine art medium and in recent decades, the
movement has exploded to a point where many cities have galleries
devoted only to glass. Today, fine glass work commands thousands of
dollars and is found in homes, museums and, increasingly, in public
areas.
If
your experience with glass is limited to colorful flower vases and
occasional church windows, you are in for a thrill. First of all,
however, you need to consider the terminology. Your artist is dealing
with plate glass, cast glass, submerged solid glass, kiln formed or
kiln cast glass; and it may be hand cut, wheel cut, fused, slumped,
blown, sandblasted, cold worked, carved, engraved, cold joined,
laminated, and acid dipped. And possibly a few other terms and
techniques I've missed. But no matter, what you need to do is
experience it yourself.
You can start here at The Art Group with our own Tina Roberts
who works in plate, making stained glass windows and other objects,
Carousel in Harrisonburg is another stained glass center, and Sunspots
in Staunton, where glassblowing is going on, is interesting and
welcomes visitors. Then to really get your blood pressure up, go
to a few web sites and you will begin to see the incredible range,
complexity and breathtaking beauty of glass art. Some suggestions
include: Hawk Galleries in Columbus, Ohio ; Kuivato Gallery in Sedona, Arizona; Xanadu Galley in Scottsdale, Arizona ; Bill Lowe Gallery in Atlanta ; Kela's Glass Gallery in Hawaii or see the works at their own web sites of artists like Dale Chihuly, perhaps America's finest glass artist ; Newt Grover , very imaginative and a relative newcomer and any of scores more whose names appear at these galleries.
If nothing else, you'll have a wonderful experience and you might be
interested in adding to your own art collection.
A word of caution,
however, glass is addictive.