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Glass Artists See Right Through It

When it comes to contemporary glass artists, most people know the name Dale Chihuly. He has been been quite successful at promoting his name and brand, but there are plenty of other glass artists creating work that is both fantastic and collectible.

Sidney Hutter was among the first glass artists in the world to experiment with laminated glass techniques and is considered a pioneer in the American Studio Glass Movement. He is a cold worker (which means what it sounds like) and stacks thin, round plates of glass, one atop the next, to build a sedimentary layered vase. Films of color are often placed between the layers to create interesting chromatic variations. Hutter is currently experimenting with the concept of removing as much glass as possible and still retaining the vase form. It’s a test of the limits of shape and structure as well as a way to continually challenge his artistry.

Having worked withhot (blown) glass, warm (fused) and cold work, Robert Wiener, DC Art Glass, has lately focused onthe potential of warm glass. The fact that it was a lost art until one hundred years ago is an attraction, but mostly he’s drawn to the diverse textures and colors that he can create. Wiener’s "Colorbar Murrine" expandshis experimentation withcolor and fusing temperatures to create a very distinctive style.

Inspired by centuries-old Venetian techniques, Jennifer Violette likes to use that knowledge as a departure point but couple it with an almost playful interaction with the glass. Geometric forms and organic shapes are reworked and colorized to take on new forms. Part of her objective is to “freeze” the glass when it exhibits its greatest fluidty and thereby capture the expressiveness of the medium. Between the bright contrasting colors and shapes, and the hot glass bits that are appied to the surface, her work has an engaging sense of whimsy.

Anthony Corradetti’s current series of blown glass vessels were inspired by medical illustrations of zygotes and embryos. The overlapping patterns and colors of his work are created by using glass luster paint on the surface of blown vessels. With each layer requiring an annealing process to fuse to the glass, an individual piece must be fused in an annealing oven individually, often takingup to 12 firings to finish each piece. Each design is spontaneousas Corradetti reacts to the work as it emerges from the kiln.

Tracy Glover knows something about magic, and she brings that quality to her glass art. Before she became a glass artist there was that brief career as a magician's assistant. Her true inspiration comes from 60s minimalist design, oldtime apothecary bottles, and of course, ornate Venetian glass. Working with silk, iron, wood and paper, Glover’s utilitarian creations such as lamps, vases, and bowls, have a way of being playful and purposeful at the same time.

Jay Harrison is a graphic designer and writer whose work can be seen at DesignConcept. He's written a mystery novel, which therefore makes him a pre-published author.