Art glass
Encyclopedia
Definitions of art glass can be as complex and contentious as definitions of what constitutes "art" and will inevitably include many refinements and exceptions. On the one hand "art glass" is not quite of the size, uniqueness and scope to be considered as "art" - unlike glass art
- but on the other, was designed or has come to be appreciated more for its decorative excellence, artistic merit or design distinctiveness than for any possible or originally intended use.
"Art glass" has been almost exclusively intended to decorate the home and was historically bought by those who could afford to commission individual work. However this last distinction today is becoming moot as glass artists strive to produce works of ever increasing distinction whether commissioned or not.
At its broadest level "art glass" can most easily be defined in opposition to glass for utilitarian purposes where the usability is more important than artistic design: glassware
, for dining, drinking, and cooking in the home, and for the catering and hospitality industries, as well as glass packaging, scientific, industrial, and architectural glass are the mundane products against which "art glass" is to be compared and contrasted.
; but there are many others. Some techniques sound very similar but have very important distinctions.
, is usually made by machine, but can be done by hand.
is historically the most used technique for creating "art glass", and is still favoured by most of today's studio glass artists. This is because of the artist's intimacy with the material, and almost infinite opportunity for creativity and variation at almost every stage of the process. "Blown glass" refers only to individually hand-made items but can include the use of moulds for shaping, ribbing, and spiking to produce decorative bubbles. Not all blown glass is "art glass". One major exception is scientific glassware which is often blown to order, in a studio.
, who is one of the few artists using large spans of thicker ¾ inch plate glass. The thick glass allows the artist to build with glass and to carve deeply into it without compromising the material's structural capabilities. This approach can be seen in the piece Chronos Trilogy, Hong Kong, 1998.
has come into use only in recent years in relation to studio glass. Most antique art glass was made in factories, particularly in England, the United States, and Bohemia, where items were made to a standard or "pattern". This would seem contrary to art glass as distinctive and showing individual skill. However, the importance of decoration in the Victorian era in particular meant that much of the artistry lay with the decorator. Any assumption today that factory-made items were necessarily made by machine was not generally so. Up to the end of the 1930s the majority of processes involved in making decorative art glass were performed by hand.
Concurrently, from the same factories, came distinctive, artistic models, produced in more limited quantities for the upper market consumer. These were likely to be decorated in-house, where decorators could work more closely with designers and management. Some designs were adapted from those of students at specialist glass colleges or Fachschule at Haida and Steinschönau where glass design was considered as important a part of the curriculum as technique.
Some "art glass" retains its original purpose but has come to be appreciated more for its "art" than for its use. Collectors of antique perfume bottles, for example, tend to display their items empty. As glass packaging, these bottles would originally have been used and as such would not ordinarily have been considered "art glass". Lalique's Art Nouveau
and Art Deco
designs and those of Joseph Hoffman also in the Art Deco era have now come to be appreciated as "art glass" due to their stylish and highly original decorative designs.
Contemporary and older bottles which have limited design style or decoration but may be collectible would remain under the heading of "glass collectibles".
In the post WWII period most types of moulded glass, especially if in clear glass, with minimal, functional design are usually considered glassware
. In making a judgement one would need to take into account the complexity and social relevance of the design, in relation to its era and the artistic interpretation of the mould maker. However, in his ground-breaking work "Sklo Union Art before Industry: 20th Century Czech Pressed Glass" Marcus Newhall places the mass-produced Czech Pressed Glass
made by the multi-factory nationalised combine Sklo Union, in the 1950s-'70s, in its historical and social context. Through this analysis he makes a convincing case for this innovatively designed "glass for everyday use", as "art for the masses". As such, modest in cost and intent as they may be, one would have to include these daring modern and modernist designs as "Art Glass".
.
On a smaller scale, lampworking
is the working of hot glass at a bench, over a fixed burner. It is used for scientific glassworking, lampworking for art glass and beadworking.
, usually for artistic purposes, by heating it in a kiln
. The processes used depend on the temperature reached and range from fusing
and slumping
to casting
.
, usually "crystal", is refined both in terms of the high quality and purity of the metal (molten glass mixture) as well as in the decorative techniques used, most often cutting and gilding. Both have been and continue to be used as part of the decoration of many indisputable examples of art glass. The distinction lies in how they are used. Such glassware can be confused with art glass because of the lavish amount and style of decoration
The vast majority of cut glass items were primarily intended for use and most, like drinking glasses, retain their original function. Vases and bowls, items which often form the "canvas" for "art glass", if in cut crystal are far more likely to be in daily use and are therefore unequivocally glassware
rather than "art glass".
Glass art
Studio glass or glass sculpture is the modern use of glass as an artistic medium to produce sculptures or three-dimensional artworks. Specific approaches include working glass at room temperature cold working, stained glass, working glass in a torch flame , glass beadmaking, glass casting, glass...
- but on the other, was designed or has come to be appreciated more for its decorative excellence, artistic merit or design distinctiveness than for any possible or originally intended use.
"Art glass" has been almost exclusively intended to decorate the home and was historically bought by those who could afford to commission individual work. However this last distinction today is becoming moot as glass artists strive to produce works of ever increasing distinction whether commissioned or not.
At its broadest level "art glass" can most easily be defined in opposition to glass for utilitarian purposes where the usability is more important than artistic design: glassware
Glassware
This list of glassware includes drinking vessels , tableware, such as dishes, and flatware used to set a table for eating a meal, general glass items such as vases, and glasses used in the catering industry whether made of glass or plastics such as polystyrene and...
, for dining, drinking, and cooking in the home, and for the catering and hospitality industries, as well as glass packaging, scientific, industrial, and architectural glass are the mundane products against which "art glass" is to be compared and contrasted.
Manufacturing techniques
There are two main techniques used to produce "art glass" : moulding or pressing, and glassblowingGlassblowing
Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
; but there are many others. Some techniques sound very similar but have very important distinctions.
Moulded glass
Moulded glass, which is also known by collectors as pressed glassPressed glass
Pressed glass is a form of glass made using a plunger to press molten glass into a mold. It was first patented by American inventor John P. Bakewell in 1825 to make knobs for furniture....
, is usually made by machine, but can be done by hand.
Blown glass
GlassblowingGlassblowing
Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
is historically the most used technique for creating "art glass", and is still favoured by most of today's studio glass artists. This is because of the artist's intimacy with the material, and almost infinite opportunity for creativity and variation at almost every stage of the process. "Blown glass" refers only to individually hand-made items but can include the use of moulds for shaping, ribbing, and spiking to produce decorative bubbles. Not all blown glass is "art glass". One major exception is scientific glassware which is often blown to order, in a studio.
'Blow and blow' and 'press and blow' methods
The similar sounding terms "blow and blow" and "press and blow" methods are very different mechanized, commercial techniques used for glass packaging such as bottles and containers for food, toiletries and cosmetics.Contemporary art glass
As a small scale craft-based industry, contemporary art glass survives on the patronage of those with the means to buy, and supports artists who struggle to make a living using ever more expensive power and materials, and time-consuming, labour-intensive techniques which have changed little over centuries. However, those involved in the contemporary art glass scene often equate their passion to "art glass" as a whole. This is an understandable mistake but glass made by hand in small studios has its own appellation, widely known and used since the late 1960s as studio glass.Innovation
In the late 20th century, contemporary glass artists (See the list of glass artists) have gravitated towards the application of innovative techniques in their work, among them constructing large scale architectural works, free-standing and alike. Examples include Warren Carther of Winnipeg, Manitoba in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, who is one of the few artists using large spans of thicker ¾ inch plate glass. The thick glass allows the artist to build with glass and to carve deeply into it without compromising the material's structural capabilities. This approach can be seen in the piece Chronos Trilogy, Hong Kong, 1998.
Historical perspective
Collectors, researchers, dealers, curators, and appraisers, however, see "art glass" through a much wider, more historical perspective. They have traditionally included pieces made using some degree of division of labour, where a number of specialised workers were used in the different processes involved in making each piece, in settings more akin to a factory than a studio.Factory art glass
The qualifier factory glassFactory glass
A term used by collectors of Art glass to distinguish relevant items from the more individual or unique Studio glass and by studio glass artists to distinguish their work from the more standardised items which are generally made in larger glassworks....
has come into use only in recent years in relation to studio glass. Most antique art glass was made in factories, particularly in England, the United States, and Bohemia, where items were made to a standard or "pattern". This would seem contrary to art glass as distinctive and showing individual skill. However, the importance of decoration in the Victorian era in particular meant that much of the artistry lay with the decorator. Any assumption today that factory-made items were necessarily made by machine was not generally so. Up to the end of the 1930s the majority of processes involved in making decorative art glass were performed by hand.
Factory differentiation and distinctiveness
Factories got around the problem of too much "sameness" in their production in various ways. Firstly, they would frequently change designs according to demand. This was especially so in the export-dependent factories of Bohemia, where the salesmen or "journeymen" would report sales trends back to the factory each trip. Secondly, the decoration, often done by contracted "piece" workers was often a variation on a theme for mid and lower market items. Such was the skill of these sub-contractors that a reasonable quality standard was generally maintained. Finally a high degree of differentiation could be gained from the multiplication of shapes, colours, and decorative designs so that many different combinations of these could be obtained.Concurrently, from the same factories, came distinctive, artistic models, produced in more limited quantities for the upper market consumer. These were likely to be decorated in-house, where decorators could work more closely with designers and management. Some designs were adapted from those of students at specialist glass colleges or Fachschule at Haida and Steinschönau where glass design was considered as important a part of the curriculum as technique.
Usable art glass
Many items of art glass were originally intended to have a use. Often that use has ceased to be relevant in the modern world but even if that's not the case, in the Victorian era and for some decades beyond, useful items were often decorated to a such a high degree that we can now appreciate them for their artistic or design merits. In some cases it's shocking to the modern mind that such delicate, frivolous, and impractical items could be used at all.Some "art glass" retains its original purpose but has come to be appreciated more for its "art" than for its use. Collectors of antique perfume bottles, for example, tend to display their items empty. As glass packaging, these bottles would originally have been used and as such would not ordinarily have been considered "art glass". Lalique's Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
and Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
designs and those of Joseph Hoffman also in the Art Deco era have now come to be appreciated as "art glass" due to their stylish and highly original decorative designs.
Contemporary and older bottles which have limited design style or decoration but may be collectible would remain under the heading of "glass collectibles".
Moulded art glass
A major shift in the definition of what constituted "Art Glass" came with the 1977 publication of the book Glass - Art Nouveau to Art Deco by Victor Arwas. Following that, there was a growing recognition that moulded, mass-produced glass with little or no decoration, but of high artistic and fabrication quality such as that produced by Lalique, should be considered as "Art Glass". Until that time only blown glass was considered.In the post WWII period most types of moulded glass, especially if in clear glass, with minimal, functional design are usually considered glassware
Glassware
This list of glassware includes drinking vessels , tableware, such as dishes, and flatware used to set a table for eating a meal, general glass items such as vases, and glasses used in the catering industry whether made of glass or plastics such as polystyrene and...
. In making a judgement one would need to take into account the complexity and social relevance of the design, in relation to its era and the artistic interpretation of the mould maker. However, in his ground-breaking work "Sklo Union Art before Industry: 20th Century Czech Pressed Glass" Marcus Newhall places the mass-produced Czech Pressed Glass
Pressed glass
Pressed glass is a form of glass made using a plunger to press molten glass into a mold. It was first patented by American inventor John P. Bakewell in 1825 to make knobs for furniture....
made by the multi-factory nationalised combine Sklo Union, in the 1950s-'70s, in its historical and social context. Through this analysis he makes a convincing case for this innovatively designed "glass for everyday use", as "art for the masses". As such, modest in cost and intent as they may be, one would have to include these daring modern and modernist designs as "Art Glass".
Hot worked glass
Hot working is the manipulation of the glass, with tools such as pincers and shears, to shape it while the glass is in its plastic state. The glass may be pulled, pinched, cut or cropped, and swung. It is usually used in conjunction with glassblowingGlassblowing
Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
.
On a smaller scale, lampworking
Lampworking
Lampworking is a type of glasswork that uses a gas fueled torch to melt rods and tubes of clear and colored glass. Once in a molten state, the glass is formed by blowing and shaping with tools and hand movements. It is also known as flameworking or torchworking, as the modern practice no longer...
is the working of hot glass at a bench, over a fixed burner. It is used for scientific glassworking, lampworking for art glass and beadworking.
Warm glass
Warm glass or kiln-formed glass is the working of glassGlass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
, usually for artistic purposes, by heating it in a kiln
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
. The processes used depend on the temperature reached and range from fusing
Stained glass fusing
Glass fusing is the technique used to join glass pieces together by partly melting the glass using high temperatures. The heating is commonly undertaken in an electric kiln...
and slumping
Slumping
Slumping is one broad technique of warm glass working, for the forming of glass by applying heat to the point where the glass will soften. The increasing fluidity of the glass with temperature causes the glass to 'slump' into or onto the mold under the force of gravity.- Technique :Glass is most...
to casting
Glass casting
Glass casting is the process in which glass objects are cast by directing molten glass into a mould where it solidifies. The technique has been used since the Egyptian period...
.
Art glass decorating techniques
- Colour: Glass colours
- Texture: Frosting, satinizing, glue-chip, overshot, sandblasting
- Surfaces: Overlays, cameo, cut-back, cutting
- Decor: Painted and enamelled glass, engraving
Art glass does not include
- Architectural glassArchitectural glassArchitectural glass is glass that is used as a building material. It is most typically used as transparent glazing material in the building envelope, including windows in the external walls. Glass is also used for internal partitions and as an architectural feature...
- Stained glassStained glassThe term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
- GlasswareGlasswareThis list of glassware includes drinking vessels , tableware, such as dishes, and flatware used to set a table for eating a meal, general glass items such as vases, and glasses used in the catering industry whether made of glass or plastics such as polystyrene and...
- Glass artGlass artStudio glass or glass sculpture is the modern use of glass as an artistic medium to produce sculptures or three-dimensional artworks. Specific approaches include working glass at room temperature cold working, stained glass, working glass in a torch flame , glass beadmaking, glass casting, glass...
Refined glassware
Upmarket refined glasswareGlassware
This list of glassware includes drinking vessels , tableware, such as dishes, and flatware used to set a table for eating a meal, general glass items such as vases, and glasses used in the catering industry whether made of glass or plastics such as polystyrene and...
, usually "crystal", is refined both in terms of the high quality and purity of the metal (molten glass mixture) as well as in the decorative techniques used, most often cutting and gilding. Both have been and continue to be used as part of the decoration of many indisputable examples of art glass. The distinction lies in how they are used. Such glassware can be confused with art glass because of the lavish amount and style of decoration
Cut glass
There is no disputing the skill traditionally required to produce cut crystal, but these days many of the processes, as well as some or all of the cutting, is automated. A few designs show artistic flair but most tend to be regular, geometric and repetitious with little or no variation in execution. Indeed, the design can be considered as a "pattern" to be replicated as exactly as possible, the main purpose of which is to accentuate the refractive qualities or "sparkle" of the crystal, an aesthetic consideration certainly, but generally not artistic.The vast majority of cut glass items were primarily intended for use and most, like drinking glasses, retain their original function. Vases and bowls, items which often form the "canvas" for "art glass", if in cut crystal are far more likely to be in daily use and are therefore unequivocally glassware
Glassware
This list of glassware includes drinking vessels , tableware, such as dishes, and flatware used to set a table for eating a meal, general glass items such as vases, and glasses used in the catering industry whether made of glass or plastics such as polystyrene and...
rather than "art glass".