Viewing articles by Andrew Page

Thursday August 4, 2016 | by Andrew Page

VIDEO: A calligrapher in Turkey writes out the word “Glass” using a glass shard as pen

FILED UNDER: Seen, Video

A video by Mücahit Aydınhan, a "calligraphy artist" based in İstanbul, Turkey, shows him breaking a sheet of glass with a hammer, selecting the right shaped shard, and then expertly writing the word "Glass" in scarlet red ink. A brief but elegant diversion courtesy of YouTube.

John Kiley's Fractographs (2016) are shattered optical crystal blocks, 21 by 13 1/2 by 3 inches.

Wednesday August 3, 2016 | by Andrew Page

A conversation with John Kiley about his “big break”

FILED UNDER: Artist Interviews, Exhibition, New Work

From Cassandria Blackmore to Marta Klonowska to Yorgos Papadopoulos, there is no shortage of artists who use shattered glass as a central element of their work — but John Kiley, among the best glassblowers in the U.S., has taken a unique approach. Unlike the plate glass used by the previously cited artists, Kiley went for 3-inch thick blocks of optical crystal, which he shattered and then reconstructed, producing a stunning visual record of the violent encounter between a sledgehammer and glass. The aggressive fracture blooms into space like a ribbon of chaotic energy ripping through the serene frame of the thick optically pure crystal. Kiley's recent work already had an undertone of violence as he cut away sections of his exquisitely blown spheres to create architectonic constructions, but there was always a strong measure of restraint. In the newest work, in the painstaking reconstruction of the glass, the rigorous nature of Kiley's practice is preserved. But make no mistake: This work represents a literal and figurative break for the artist sought-after for his signature precision. The GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet caught up with Kiley as he was preparing for the opening of his new exhibition "10,000 MPH" opening this evening at Traver Gallery (and running through August 27, 2016) to talk about this bold new direction. (Editor's note: See the video at end of this post for 360-degree views of the new works.)

Helen Lee's gold award-winning work KowTow.

Wednesday June 29, 2016 | by Andrew Page

Helen Lee takes top honors in Emerge 2016, a juried biennial exhibition organized by Bullseye Glass

FILED UNDER: Announcements, Award, Exhibition, News

Artist and educator (University of Wisconsin, Madison) Helen Lee took the gold prize at "Emerge 2016," the ninth biennial juried exhibition organized by Bullseye Glass. This year's field saw 370 entries, from which 42 finalists were selected by the jury made up of Bellevue Arts Museum curator Stefano Catalani, artist and educator Kim Harty (College of Creative Studies, Detroit), and Art in America contributing editor and educator (Portland State Universty) Sue Taylor. The competition drew submissions from 16 countries, and jurors were instructed to select work that best represented "creativity, craftsmanship, and design" in object-making using Bullseye Glass.

Sunday June 19, 2016 | by Andrew Page

Reporter shatters misconception of fragility on longest glass footbridge set to open in China

FILED UNDER: Architecture, Design, News, Video

It would take extraordinary strength to breach three sheets of glass laminated together with ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), yet high-profile structural applications, such as high-altitude footbridges in China, continue to awe the public who associate glass with fragility and a tendency to shatter. In an effort to dispell this unwarranted fear of walking on glass, a BBC reporter was invited to try to break a structural glass panel shortly before the opening of the world's highest and longest glass-bottomed bridge, which is expected to open in July 2016 in Zhangjiajie, China.

Laura Donefer revels in the love her fashion show unleashes in the glass community. photo: dave hickie

Wednesday June 15, 2016 | by Andrew Page

GALLERY: Four-years-in-the-making, Laura Donefer’s glass fashion show at Corning GAS raises the bar

FILED UNDER: Image Gallery, New Work, News

Since her very first glass fashion show in Toronto in 1989, artist Laura Donefer has been cajoling artists to don costumes celebrating their imaginations and their material, which they then parade before an adoring crowd of fellow artists. For the closing-night party of the 2016 Glass Art Society conference last Saturday night, Donefer pulled out all the stops, memorializing the late rock stars Prince and David Bowie in a tightly choreographed sequence of moveable art and music as artists walked the catwalk set up at The Corning Museum of Glass auditorium. Because of the massive crowd of attendees, and a limit of 800 seats in the auditorium, there were two shows for the first time in the 27-year history of Donefer's productions. While the fashion extravaganza generates massive amounts of excitement, attention, and affection for Donefer, the Canadian artist says the epic event does not directly link up with her personal art practice.

Friday June 3, 2016 | by Andrew Page

OPENING: Glass Wheel Studio showcases work by members of its 2016 Studio Artist Program in Virginia

FILED UNDER: Announcements, Exhibition, New Work, Opening

Since opening in November 2015 in a 8,500-square-foot space in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, Glass Wheel Studio has offered exhibition galleries and affordable studio spaces to artists working in all materials but especially glass, a material that has received special focus in this town thanks to the bold programming and outreach of the Chrysler Museum of Art glass studio. In fact, the first 13 artists admitted to the nonprofit Glass Wheel Studio's "immersive studio practice program," includes several artists with connections to the museum's glass department, including its director Charlotte Potter.

Carmen Vetter, Flux #3, 2016. Kiln-formed glass. H 21, W 64, D 1 1/2 in.

Wednesday June 1, 2016 | by Andrew Page

OPENING: Carmen Vetter’s kiln-formed glass panels, skin self-portraits, at Traver

FILED UNDER: Announcements, Exhibition, New Work, Opening

Opening today with an evening reception at Seattle's Traver Gallery, the exhibition "Surface" features Carmen Vetter's latest body of work — studies of texture and pattern rendered in layers of powdered glass kiln-fired to look like weathered landscapes. Monochrome or muted in color palette, the surfaces of the work take center stage as the artist selectively built up or removed layers of glass powders to evoke close-up maps of territory altered by unseen forces of erosion and time.

Amy Lemaire

Tuesday May 31, 2016 | by Andrew Page

Navigating flameworking’s rich trade routes: A conversation with artist and educator Amy Lemaire

FILED UNDER: Artist Interviews, New Work

With a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and an MFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn — both in painting — Amy Lemaire would seem an unlikely expert to offer insights into the flameworking world. And yet she has immersed herself in the field, where she occupies key roles as an educator, instructor, researcher, and communicator, in addition to being a practicing designer and artist. An adjunct professor at the leading flameworking program at Salem County Community College, she also leads the Bead Project at UrbanGlass, (which publishes the GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet), where she also teaches flameworking to university students. Noting major shifts in the flameworking landscape driven by the liberalization of marijuana laws as well as technical advances in the field, the Hot Sheet recently spoke with Lemaire about her own practice, and how the scene is changing.

Tuesday May 31, 2016 | by Andrew Page

VIDEO: Uncanny strength of Prince Rupert’s drop proven in hydraulic press experiment on YouTube

FILED UNDER: Video

PressTube, an only-on-the-Internet project in which different objects are crushed under a hydraulic press in videos posted to a YouTube channel, recently took on the Prince Rupert's drop, the super-hard crystal that gets its strength from the compressive stress generated by dipping hot glass in cold water. In a video entitled "Hydraulic Press: Prince Rupert Drop: Remake: Safe Tails," the legendary glass drops are set between blocks of wood, lead, and steel, and then subject to intense hydraulic pressure. The Results? Two out of three ain't bad.

Lino Tagliapietra, Osaka, 2011. Blown glass. H 20 1/4 in. courtesy: heller gallery

Tuesday May 31, 2016 | by Andrew Page

OPENING: Lino Tagliapietra at Heller Gallery on Thursday

FILED UNDER: Announcements, Exhibition, News, Opening

On Thursday evening, Heller Gallery will welcome maestro Lino Tagliapietra, who plans to attend the evening reception to kick off a month-long New York City exhibition of his work entitled "Celebrazione!" From June 2 through July 15, this gallery in the heart of the art scene in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood will feature a range of richly patterned sculptural vessels that showcase Tagliapietra's complex use of cane and murini to create bold abstract compositions on glass surfaces.

Glass: The UrbanGlass Quarterly, a glossy art magazine published four times a year by UrbanGlass has provided a critical context to the most important artwork being done in the medium of glass for more than 40 years.