I
am a glass artist working in pâte de verre
sculpture. I am drawn to the glow of pate
de verre where depending on the times of day,
the illumination creates a changing experience
of light and shadows through the glass.
It is this juxtaposition of contrasting light
that I see as metaphor for the multiple layers
within the human condition. I am interested
in perception, paradox and the hidden or revealed
elements within relationships.
I
draw inspiration from ancient Asian and Near
East ceramics. I work in numerous methods
of pâte de verre using bas relief, sintered
and multiple part molds to create vessels and
figurative sculpture.
Pâte
de verre begins by designing and translating
a drawing into clay or wax. A refractory mold
of plaster and silica is then invested around
the piece. The clay or wax is removed, the mold
cleaned and then packed with numerous glass
colors made into pastes for painting into the
mold. Under precise firing temperatures the
work is fired in a kiln, then timed to the minute
to get the desired texture and finish.
The
art of pâte de verre has been invented,
lost and rediscovered many times in history.
In 1880 French archeologists translated ancient
Egyptian hieroglyphics which sparked research
into a glassy ceramic known as faience. This
lead to several French artists reviving a lost
art, their work in glass became known as pâte
de verre.
(Click
on the thumbnails to see the collection)
Breaking News: Sign up for my Hollow Method of Pâte de Verre class at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. July 16th thru 20th
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