Beautiful Monsters: The Strange Appeal Of Brutalist Architecture Around the world—and in Britain perhaps most poignantly—the 1950s and 1960s were a time of unparalleled optimism. These ‘years of hope’, as the late Tony Benn dubbed them, saw the middle class of the nation transformed by peace and prosperity. Wayland Young, in his book Return to […]
Brutalist Buildings Continue Reading »
From Venice To Fenton Art Glass: The History Of Milk Glass In the world of art glass, much is said about the appeal of whirls of colour and shimmering iridescence; from the many-faceted delights of millefiori to the distracting gasoline glimmer of carnival glass, both collectors and glassmakers have drawn centuries of enjoyment from the
Fenton Art Glass: The History of Milk Glass Continue Reading »
While Asia is a continent much admired for its long history of artistic and technical achievement, ancient Asian glass craft has largely been overshadowed by more mainstream mediums; the popularity (both within Asia itself and amongst modern collectors) of Asian ceramic wares and metalwork has rendered glass something a footnote. However, though glassmaking got off
Seeking Clarity: Unearthing The Secrets of Lead-Barium Glass in China Continue Reading »
In our two most recent pieces, Black Glass: Before There Was Glassblowing and Coloured Glass: Before The Age of Glass Blowing, we examined the motivations (both practical and cultural) that shaped the genesis of glassmaking. We also explored the ancient trade routes that helped spread glass art around the world, spurring innovations that would ultimately
Glass Art: Early Glass Manufacturing Techniques Continue Reading »
Before There Was Glass Blowing Part 2 – The Bronze Age: As the Chalcolithic Age slowly gave way to the Bronze Age and primitive settlements began to coalesce into powerful urban centres, the desire for individual expression and status – conveyed through personal adornment – intensified rapidly. It is therefore little wonder that the very
Coloured Glass: Before The Age of Glass Blowing Continue Reading »
How Early Man Used, Traded, and Manufactured Glass Part 1: Origins For centuries, it was believed that our love of glass—like so much of what we enjoy and take for granted today—probably began in ancient Rome. This assumption was largely based upon the writings of the Roman historian Pliny the Elder, who suggested that Phoenician
Black Glass: Before There Was Glassblowing Continue Reading »
Long before the artisans of Western Europe discovered how to perfect the art of glassblowing, some of the greatest glass masters in history—whose names have largely been lost—were active in ancient Rome, making everything from plain cups and jugs to intricate cameos and vases. While many of the more impressive works of Roman glass, such
Glass Masters: Roman Glass Continue Reading »
Futurism is an art movement that embraced the modern world and the technological advancements of the early 20th Century. Technology and speed were the ‘new beautiful’, and Futurist art was crammed with hurtling trains, diving bi-planes and racing cars. Futurists tried to evoke a palpable sense of urban modernity in their various art forms; the
Futurism Art Movement Continue Reading »
For as long as people have been accessorising their homes, art glass has played a major role in adding to the beauty of a space. The glass art movement has been alive and well for many millennia now, and many of the methods used to create delicate-looking sculptures are still used today. There is an
The World of Studio Glass Continue Reading »
Sometimes, an optic glass sculpture artist comes along who breaks all the rules and grinds out their own path. One such artist is Jack Storms, who has become the master of an achingly laborious glass-making process that combines lead crystal with dichroic glass. This physically demanding cold-glass process can take around 18 weeks of work
Optic Glass Sculpture by Jack Storms Continue Reading »