Spring 2023 GASnews

GASnews

SPRING 2023

VOLUME 37

ISSUE 1

3 Letters from the Editor and Executive Director

4 Of it, but Without

7 Interview with Silvia Levenson

8 Future(s) of Finnish Glass

11 Success and its Impact on the Future of Functional Glass

14 The Rise of Contemporary Turkish Art Glass

17 Glass in Latin America: Strengthen our own, Crossing Limits, and Building Bridges Printed in English and Spanish

Cover: Estuko Ichikawa, Trace 6914, glass pyrograph on paper, 2014, 52 h x 38 w inches. Photo courtesy of the artist.

GASnews is published four times per year as a benef it to members.

Contributing Writers: David Schunckel, Sara Hulkokken, Fatma Ciftci, Kimberly Thomas, and María Diaz de Vivar

Editor : Michael Hernandez

Graphic Design: Lauren Bayer

Staff

Brandi Clark, Executive Director

Jennifer Hand, Conference + Events Manager

KCJ Szwedzinski, Operations Assistant

Julie Thompson, Development Manager

Cathy Noble-Jackson, Part-time Bookkeeper

Glass Ar t Societ y Board of Directors 2021-2022

President: Nadania Idriss

Vice President: Heather McElwee

Treasurer: Mike Saroka

Secretary: Lisa Zerkowitz

Ben Cobb

Eric Goldschmidt

Sara Hulkkonen

John Moran

Purnima Patel

Frederik Rombach

Debra Ruzinsky

Kimberly Thomas

Sunny Wang

Martha Zackin

Ibrahim Erdogan (International Student Representative)

Leia Guo (North American Student Representative)

EDITOR’S LETTER

T his issue marks the culmination of a 2-part series exploring the Tacoma GAS conference theme Between Here and There, with informed speculation of movements in glass art that are cutting a path forward. GASnews writers address this with a focus on location, technique, and approach. You will find numerous inspiring facets of artistic glass research and community that are developing and morphing from our network that spans the globe.

This issue also marks the end of my tenure as GASnews Editor. The past 6 years have held a constant stream of change for the Glass Art Society, its conferences, and the global community that it serves. I take pride in being part of this community and looking back at the work that has been done both at GAS and what we have provided in the pages of GASnews. There has been a consistent understanding that we reflect and honor the past while adapting to what we learn from our community. For GASnews, it has been my view that we attempt to address journalism of the field with both a broad view and a critical mindset… and to have some fun with the content. I applaud the writers I worked with who have provided their insights, expertise, and flexibility in their address and approach.

I look forward to what the future hold for this publication. I did not achieve every hope I had for what GASnews would become, but, like many of my projects, it has been a work in progress. I think the critical- and community- based approach has provided some of the best writing on the state of glass art, sparing our readers from flowery reviews and hype of the trendy. I hope that GASnews continues to develop and morph to reflect and reach an increasingly wider and more diverse glass art community.

Michael Hernandez GASnews Editor

Dear GASnews reader -

October 1st marked the start of a new fiscal year for the Glass Art Society and a transition on the GAS board of directors. It happens every year, and every year I am equally excited about new folks coming onto the board (I’m looking at you, Leia Guo, Sara Hulkkonen, John Moran, and Kim Thomas!), and saddened to be losing people that have volunteered so much of their time to making our organization and the glass community bigger, better, stronger, and more inclusive and equitable. While always part of the GAS family, at the end of September, Glen Hardymon, Mike Hernandez, Jessica Jane Julius, Paige Lizbeth Morris, Lynn Everett Read, Demetro Theofanous, and Caitlin Vitalo all stepped off the board.

Each one of these folks has given a huge part of themselves to GAS, and their contributions can not be over-stated. We have worked side-by-side through some pretty tough times, and the Glass Art Society is a much different organization largely due to them. With much respect and affection, I want to thank them all for all of their hard work and support for the global glass community. The issue of GASnews marks the end of our 50th Anniversary celebration and more than a year of reflecting on our past as we work to make the future brighter. We look forward to the next issue of GASnews with a new editor and the next chapter of GAS - we will see you all there!

Brandi P. Clark Executive Director

OF IT, BUT WITHOUT

by David Schnuckel

I know, I know. I feel terrible that it’s at the violent expense of animals, but I’ve always loved the “two birds/one stone” metaphor. A picture of the idea of efficiency. Painted with words. And doing so in a spectacularly efficient word count. As an educator I often think about how many ways I can be effective in a single stroke of whatever learning experience I’m putting out there for students. Especially for newcomers to glass. Especially in a hot shop scenario. Especially right off the rip.

As we all might remember, those first few days (and weeks) in an introductory studio course experience are real baffling. Glass just seems so mysterious, so complicated, and so impossible for so, so long. From the beginner’s point of view, the idea of making anything with it in a way that feels creatively fulfilling anytime soon seems unrealistic.

If ever. In fact, I have students open up to me regularly in our first week together of their doubt when assigned their first major project upon having almost zero hot glass experience. “How, David? …just how?”

So, in an effort to get students to engage creatively with this seemingly impossible stuff in a way that makes good use of their inexperience AND to deepen their thinking about what makes glass be or do glassy things AND to dismantle any misconceptions about what young people think “good” art work is or isn’t AND to make the whole glass thing less intimidating in both theory and practice, I’ve created a first project designed to tick these many boxes. Simultaneously. It’s a project that asks the beginner to solve a glass-centric problem creatively through non-glass means and methods.

In a nutshell, the students are prompted to dwell in the attributes that define glass’s

unique materiality and to translate one of those things through several small artful gestures to pick from a list of “creative” options. Options include such things as a sound piece that explores their chosen attribute through mouth sounds, or a painting made by translating their chosen attribute into a method of mark making, or a 3-minute video work that explores their chosen attribute through interpretive dance to name a few. It’s required to be thoughtful. It’s recommended to be fun. If the learning objectives strung with all those many ANDs a couple paragraphs above are the birds, then this first project is my stone. The spirit of informality, absurdity, and lightheartedness behind it gives each student permission to realize that skill is not a matter of what one can do with glass, but how one can think with it. Ultimately, that a lot of big, poetic, provocative, and meaningful things can be done with very little technical experience or know-how.

But this project idea also comes from a bigger observation of interesting moments in contemporary glass catching my attention about how media-specific relationships to material and process can transcend the media-specificity of our field; unique considerations of glass – and translations of its various capacities - in a kind of “glass work” generated through non-glass materials, means, and/or methodologies. I’m not coining any new phrases or ideas here, but this is an article hanging its conversational hat on a kind of making by glass practitioners that I wouldn’t consider “glass-based” as much as I would “glass-related.”

I’m not claiming to have discovered it, nor claiming to be some kind of authority on the matter. But this kind of glass-promptednon-glass-art-making phenomenon presents a uniquely abstracted relationship to material and process that is illustrating a new kind of mastery; a comprehensive skill

Andrew Bearnot, Ballet Verrerie, 2007, Performance. Photo courtesy of the artist.

set more about a proficiency in translation tactics than it is of technical prowess. And I’m loving it. Especially in the way that it opens up a broader understanding of how interconnected our relationship with glass can be to just about anything else, what those things can tell us about who we are, and how those observations can connect us to the bigger world we’re within. The following references are a small handful of artist projects out of many (many!) that help illustrate an “other” side of this glass making coin.

Etsuko Ichikawa and her practice of “Glass Pyrographs” is a great entry point into this kind of glass-prompted-non-glassart-making methodology. It’s a place where drawing, calligraphy, and bodily performance are all conjured at once, activated in a molten-reliant method of improvised image making. Sometimes by way of a hot glass bubble, sometimes by a hot mass of solid glass, Ichikawa places paper on the floor and follows some kind of unknown, graceful logic by sweeping and stalling her pipe or punty across her combustible canvas. The

depth and density of each mark provides a broad palette of signed remembrance on the page. Sometimes with dark brown opacity, sometimes wispy with a light hazel translucent effect. But always a remarkably emotive, wordless association to writing (and the written word) that seems fully expressive without definitively saying anything in particular. Both articulate and ambiguous.

In an entirely different approach to glassrelated imaging practice, the poetry of Johanna Gluck’s “Triangulation” is told in a graphic that speaks of (and speaks with) meticulous discipline. Over time she has been tracking the routes and repetitions throughout the hot shop in her role as assistant, translating them in a uniquely ambiguous diagram extending from the specificity of her task(s). On her website, the piece offers a caption saying, “The length of each straight line is scaled paces between points to complete tasks, while nodes signify contact with the object during production.“ The resulting image is nothing short of glass studio cartography, a practice of map making that defines the spatial pathways in the shop during a day’s work. This glass-prompted-non-glass-artmaking methodology is a metaphysical kind. Not only a contemplation of one’s physical sense of place while at work, but a sense of creative place within the assisting of someone else’s work. A new kind of process-based thinking that blends contemporary craft’s value upon the skillful hand with a conceptually driven consideration of the hot shop assistant’s duty to skillfully lend one.

Setting imagery to the side, the glass making process has also allowed some interesting moments in motion mapping practices translated into sound work.

Alex Rosenberg’s “Composition for a Glass Tumbler” incorporates a series of digital applications that are much more complicated than I’m capable of clearly addressing here, but merges the analog methods of the hot shop and technology in an unexpected way. Rosenberg pursues

Alex Rosenberg, Composition for a Glass Tumbler, hand-blown glass tumbler, archival black and white print, clay brick, musical notation generated from motion-tracking the movements necessary to make the glass, 20102014. Photo courtesy of the artist.

the creation of a humble, blown cylinder form in the hot shop and his movements are patched into a programming code; that code then translating Rosenberg’s actions into musical notes on a piano keyboard. The finished score of this translation lives as a record of the tumbler making process in audible form, sounding a lot less musical than expected and more like melodic chaos. When Rosenberg transcribes the score, the tumbler composition displays as an overwhelmingly elaborate tangle of notes and rests hectically living on an equally overwhelmingly large piece of sheet music. Rosenberg’s glass-promptednon-glass-art-making methodology is not only a fascinating sensorial swap between what we see him do and what we hear as a result, but also an exquisite interweaving of several ironies: the simple turned complex, the small made big, the logic of sequenced motions rendered crazy.

It isn’t unusual to speak about – or hear other onlookers speak about – the fluid hot shop movements between gaffer and assistant within the making moment as like watching choreography. Whether cliché or not, there is a known and unspoken satisfaction in taking audience to the glass blower whose body is elegantly in tune with the space of the studio, masterfully moving through the sequences of their making process within it. Bodies, tools, pipes, hands, and glass swept up in some kind of dynamic, synchronous billowing across the floor between furnace, bench, and glory hole for however long it takes to bring to life whatever it is that the gaffer and assistant are working towards. Andrew Bearnot leans into this parallel between glass blowing and dance in a stunning glass-promptednon-glass-art-making methodology that culminates in ballet performance. “Ballet Verrerie” is a project in the form of a dance company that has developed a series of abstracted movements informed by the poised, undulating, and rhythmic movements as seen by a maestro at work on the hot shop floor. These mesmerizing bodily gestures performed by the dance troupe demonstrate ways in which the

culture of the hot glass studio can be as emotionally and poetically demanding for us to watch as it is physically for the artist to do.

One last example of a unique glassprompted-non-glass-art-making methodology lives in an exquisitely unusual place of material translation. At first, I am immediately drawn by Yixuan Pan’s urge to mine for unknown conceptual potential within glass remnants, residue, and waste discarded in a hot shop dumpster in “The It/其它 (an on-going translation project).” She picks various items from her small pile of glass foundlings and renders their physicality through highly unconventional conversion practices relating to either tactility, intangibility, the performative, and/or the digital. All of which ranging in degrees of dazzling absurdity. My favorite translation tactic in the bunch captures

the likeness of a tongue-like solid glass shape that looks like it folded over on itself somehow (catalogued as “It 4”).

The long version of explaining its translation process seems unknown, yet reliant on technology somehow; the short of it is that this stray glass cullet thingy now exists in the form some kind of computer code. The identity of a random glass object visually represented by a very specific - yet unpredictable - string of seemingly infinite keyboard-based gibberish is equally random. It’s this dynamic between making the familiar strange while making the strange familiar is a delightfully weird logic working throughout this translation project.

Are these the only ways this “glass-related” art phenomenon thing lives? Nah. Is this an article with a hot take on a new kind of self-aware relationship to material and

Johanna Gluck, Triangulation (punti), about 63 x 64", vector graphic, 2019-2022. Image courtesy of the artist.

process within our field? Nope. In fact, as I wind this article down, I can’t help but recall a blog started as far back as 2007 called h o w i s t h i s g l a s s ? by Yuka Otani and Anjali Srinivasan; a cyber spot that was dedicated to cataloging artists and idiosyncratic art endeavors prompted by glass through unexpected art methods of thinking more broadly about what it is, how it is worked, and what more it can be in service of. But what’s referenced there in conjunction with what’s been referenced in this article is but the tip of the tip to the tip of this fascinating glass-prompted-nonglass-art-making iceberg. As I near the conclusion of this piece I find myself with no real sense of statement. No quippy resolve, no call for action, or philosophical cliffhanger. Just a continued urge to rethink how terms like skill and technique might no longer only be matters relating to what one can do with glass, but how one can evolve their thinking about it instead. In turn, these instances of broadening

a media-specific practice enacted by a self-referential method of translating glass materiality and process through non-glass means and methods of art making is an exceptionally “other” side of the Studio Glass Movement coin.

Yixuan Pan, The It, # 4, Translated as code (partial), 2016. Photo courtesy of the artist.

David Schnuckel is an artist and educator, currently Assistant Professor of Glass at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York.

Exuberance by Janis Miltenberger featured on the cover of the September/October 2022 Directory of Industry Supplies issue of Glass Art®

Photo by Lynn Thompson.

INTERVIEW WITH SILVIA LEVENSON

by María Diaz de Vivar

María Diaz de Vivar: Who would you mention in the list of pioneers of artistic glass, from Mexico to Argentina?

Silvia Levenson: In Argentina I could name Nidea Danessa and Guillermo Patiño. In Mexico, to Raquel Stolarski. In Uruguay, Argueda Dicranco, especially from the artistic point of view.

MDV: How do you see the panorama of current manufacturing and marketing in the region and what peculiarities and strengths does glass art made here have?

SL: Strength is the enthusiasm to learn and develop new techniques. For example, the techniques that have to do with the experimental prints on glass that I use and share with others. Other countries have been developed and disseminated at the local level thanks to artists and researchers such as Graciela Olio, Paulina Rucco, Sol Carta, Natalia Gerscovich and Andrea Da Ponte.

The same occurs with the development of modeled glass paste developed by Teresa Apud and Dina Priess Dos Santos. In any case, it should be borne in mind that glass is an expensive material: the use of ovens, tools and other materials makes it unattainable for many. From Argentina, the production methods seek to simplify and seek other solutions.

MDV: And what would you say needs improvement and development?

SL: I think that self-criticism is needed and the desire to know what is being done or was done in other places. In recent years, many artists and artisans have improved the technique, but from an artistic point of view there is still a long way to go. It is about

Photo of the artist, courtesy of the artist.

putting the works in glass in the context of contemporary art. If we think we are the best, it will be difficult for us to make a leap in quality. For me it was important to have traveled and come into contact with other works. The first time I went to the Bullseye in Portland, for example, I came across Narcisso Quagliata's “painting with light” panels, and a show by Bertil Vallien. The second time, it was Dale Chihuly blowing some giant pieces. This made me feel and corroborate that I knew very little about glass. I still had a lot to learn, and that instead of depressing me encourages me to look for what is worth communicating.

The positive part, at least in Argentina, is the existence of the Berazategui School, and of concrete realities such as the Cristalería San

Carlos. The level of what is taught is very good, what is missing is a leap in quality from an artistic point of view.

MDV: How do you see the future of glass artists from Mexico to Argentina and to the world?

SL: I believe that the future of glass artists in Latin America has to do with our continent. Sometimes what happens in other countries is idealized as if it were not the result of years of work and investment. Transporting works to the US or Europe from Argentina has a very high cost. Our challenge is to create a circuit of spaces, galleries and collectors in our countries. This does not mean that some artists have developed an original artistic language, and that they can

find a place on an international scene; I wish you with all my heart. In the meantime, let's try to change our perspective and look at our continent and what we can develop. Perhaps it is about continuing to work to create ties, meetings, internships and scholarships that raise the level of local artists.

Silvia Levenson, El plan era perfecto, 2010. Kiln formed glass. Photo by Marco Del Comune Photographer

THE FUTURE OF FINNISH GLASS

by Sara Hulkkonen

Finnish Art Glass has a unique history that continues to shape its evolution. However, developments in education, industry, and private studios are contributing to new directions and possibilities for the future. In this article, I ask where the Finnish Glass field could be heading, and the factors that are driving change. I explain the foundations that guide the future of glassmaking in Finland, based over 20 years of experience as a student, maker, and educator in Finland. For the past 12 years, I have actively been exposed to North American ways of making glass, and I intently follow the European hot glass scene. The article is focused specifically on addressing the field of Finnish blown glass.

To address possibilities in the future of hot glass in Finland, it is important to consider its historical background. After WW2, glass design grew to a significant prominence and international recognition that still has a strong influence on the industry of contemporary Finnish glass. The Studio Glass Movement never really took hold in the country beyond product-based glass design. Although Finnish glass holds a much shorter history, smaller maker community, and more narrow range of techniques and products than many European glass leaders, the quality of glass and design produced in the country has been held in high esteem, internationally.

Today, glass continues to be a small trade in Finland. Currently, there are approximately 100 glassblowers in the country. The largest employer is the only remaining glass factory, Iittala, where designs by Oiva Toikka, Tapio Wirkkala, Alvar Aalto, and Timo Sarpaneva continue to be realized posthumously by production glassmakers. Along with the factory, there are two main glass sites, Riihimäki and Nuutajärvi, where glassblowing lives on by independent

makers. The glassblowing facilities of these two sites have their homes in buildings that in the past were famous glass factories. In addition, there are a couple more private hot shops elsewhere in the country.

Education

All in all, there are three school hot glass studios in Finland: One in Ikaalinen School of Crafts, one at Tavastia Vocational College (Nuutajärvi), and one at Aalto University in Espoo. Beyond these shops, the Iittala glass factory has an area designated as a learning space for the vocational students of the factory.

The Aalto University hot shop is run by a workshop master who also realizes the designs by the design students. The vocational glass studios are run by teachers, and at the factory the students learn together with a teacher and a workplace instructor.

To learn hot glass techniques in Finland, students apply to vocational, secondarylevel training. Ikaalinen School of Crafts and Tavastia Vocational College are the two schools which offer degree-based studies in hot glass. In practice, the vocational training takes two years. The students graduate as artisans after completing the Vocational Qualification in Arts and Design. Technically, the secondary level degree means that students have gained the basic knowledge of hot glass but are not yet competent glassblowers. To later earn a degree as a glassblower, or as a master glassblower, the competence-based vocational education system enables it through workplace training. Mostly, the further qualifications are completed at the glass factory. For an independent glassmaker, it is possible to take the qualification through their work as an entrepreneur or as employed in a small studio. Yearly, there is only a small number of students graduating from the vocational

Canticle of the Sun. An altar piece designed by artist Kirsti Taiviola consists of 365 mold blown colored cylinders.

Photo: Vesa Laitinen.

training and an even smaller number stays in the field. It is unlikely any changes are coming to the field soon. One reason is that currently there is no tertiary level education offering glass blowing studies in Finland. Furthermore, for a beginner glassmaker there are not many job opportunities to continue learning in the trade.

Compared to several other European countries, or to the US, it might be a surprise that one cannot study glassblowing techniques in BA/BFA or MA/MFA programs in Finland. With a strong background in glass design, the universities continue to educate designers who then collaborate with makers. The closest bachelor-level programs in glass are either in Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm Sweden, or at the Royal Danish Academy (Crafts in Glass and Ceramics) on Bornholm, Denmark.

Despite the somewhat slow development of Finnish glass education, it seems to be heading to a more Studio Glass-oriented way of making. Among the vocational students, there is a clear and growing demand for learning skills towards independently made art and/or production glass. An interesting phenomenon is that some applicants to the vocational training already possess an academic degree in design. This is not common but could indicate a demand for maker-based training for students within academia. On the other hand, it also indicates flexibility of the Finnish education system, where it is possible to jump from the tertiary level back to secondary level. From my perspective, the student experience in arts-based and conceptual learning could be a valuable addition to the otherwise technicallyfocused training with glass.

Collaboration in education

A concept that I believe has an impact on the future of handcrafted glass in Finland is collaborative workshops with vocational and academic students. Since 2010, we at Tavastia Vocational College have arranged ProtoShopGlass sessions

together with different Finnish universities. For these assemblies, the design students come with their drawings and/or molds to get their ideas prototyped in glass. The glass students learn how to realize the designs made by design students. During the sessions both student groups learn about collaboration, dialogue, techniques, and materials in an affordable way. The pedagogical focus is set on the future of glass. Through introducing the students from different schools and education levels to each other, we create new partnerships and enable a platform for easier communication for the future professionals.

Occasionally, the ProtoShopGlass collaborates with professional designers. Their latest project with Kirsti Taiviola, whose altar piece Auringon laulu (Canticle of the Sun) for Söderkulla Church in Sipoo, Finland (2021) was realized in Tavastia’s ProtoShopGlass. Before the pandemic

hit, the students worked in teams and made 365 mold blown cylinders based to Taiviola’s design. Another recent collaboration with a designer Anne Hirvonen was based on using recycled waste glass for casting and blowing.

Industry

Iittala Glass Factory is a rarity in the Nordic countries. With over 140 years of history in the industry, the factory continues to make mouth blown glass. Today, Iittala employs around 70 glassmakers working with hot glass. A handful of them are master glassblowers with their own working teams. Most of the factory production is mold blown vases, lamp shades, drinking glasses, and pitchers designed by renowned Finnish designers. Newer collaborations include work made with international designers. One of the most famous designs, the glass birds of the late Oiva Toikka, continue to be made by a dedicated team.

Making of the Canticle of the Sun. Students of Tavastia Vocational College collaborate with the artist Kirsti Taiviola. Photo: Sara Hulkkonen

In January 2021, Tavastia Vocational College started educating new glass artisans collaboratively with the factory, inside the factory. The estimated outcome is to have factory workers who already have basic knowledge of hot glass before starting to work as full-time glassworkers at the factory. The factory training path is a more secure direction towards income within glass than working as an independent maker.

An example of Iittala’s commitment to sustainability is the research and development of glass batch. They continue to work toward replacing harmful ingredients of the batch with more safe and environmentally friendly materials. Iittala’s role is strong in the Finnish glass community. Decisions like starting vocational beginner education inside the factory and developing both the clear and colored glass shape the future of glass making in Finland.

Private studios

The two larger glass communities in Finland, Riihimäki and Nuutajärvi, have steadily been growing as the places where New Finnish Glass is made. The Lasismi Co-Op, the Mafka & Alakoski studios in Riihimäki, and the Lasikomppania studio in Nuutajärvi are examples of collaboration, determination, and love of glass. Now, the independent side of art glass making is growing stronger. In the practices and approaches of independent studios, this could finally mark the Studio Glass Movement establishing growth in Finland. However, the relatively small communities do need stronger collaboration to continue this development.

What’s next?

The trends over the past decade of Finnish glass indicate growth and provide space for this to continue. It is very likely to see more Finnish makers and their work emerging in the international glass scene. The worldwide connections are meaningful and inspiring for the students and professionals. Within the sphere of education, partnerships

such as Erasmus+ and students on-thejob learning in foreign countries will show their importance regarding the future. Furthermore, having a growing international glass community in Finland has shown to secure the development of independently made art glass. To keep glassmaking alive in a small economic area like Finland, global relations and collaboration is essential.

Finland can be a leader in turning glass towards greener thinking and technology. Recent changes at the Aalto University glass studio indicate about this shift. With the glass studio master Slate Grove, the university has taken a leading role in developing sustainable energy consumption in the hot shop. This serves as an example for the other two school studios in Finland, as well as the private shops. The Iittala glass factory is changing its energy policies and glass recipes to meet the high sustainability standards.

Finland is one of the European countries on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in handcrafted glass. Since 2017, glassblowing has been recognized as a national living heritage in Finland, and nationally documented as part of the UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The UNESCO’s decision on the multinational application will be received in December 2023. The recognition and developments of the glass art field on national and regional levels, in educational institutions, and the evolution of the professional field of glass production and design show a promising growth in Finnish handcrafted glass.

Sara Hulkkonen is a doctoral researcher in the field of Design at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, holding a MA in Art Education from the Aalto University and a Specialist Vocational Qualification in Glassblowing (Master Glassblower). Since 2009, Hulkkonen has taught glassblowing at Tavastia Vocational College.

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SUCCESS AND ITS IMPACT ON THE FUTURE OF FUNCTIONAL GLASS

by Kimberly Thomas

Success can be measured in many ways. As we mature, our concept of achievement changes. Functional glass makers are feeling this change as they reassess artistic integrity. This is a pivotal moment. The current climate in the field of functional glass could heavily influence its future.

After ten years as a pipemaker, I was stuck. The industry had changed so much. I had no interest in making a trendy, recycler bong in whatever hype color that was fashionable that minute. My sales had slumped and it was a chore to go to the studio. I had to reexamine what a gratifying career would look like and ask myself, why are you still doing this? You don’t even smoke weed. What do you really want? The first answer was freedom. I needed to be able to create the work I wanted to see in the world, on my time, in my unique way.

The second was to win the lottery. Winning the lottery had more to do with luck, but recapturing the passion and excitement I had for making was something I could easily control. I stopped trying to make what would sell and started to dream.

Truth be told, becoming a pipemaker was not something I'd ever wanted, it was what I needed. While the pipe industry is not for everyone, I am grateful my career in glass started there. The pipe industry gave me the platform for the creative expression in glass I was seeking. I had a degree in ceramics and had been working in special effects make up and other artistic fields for years. I needed to experiment and apply the skills I already had to a new medium.

As I talked with colleagues, the general consensus was that many were experiencing the revelation I had.

Functional glass has come a long way in the past decade. This progress has fundamentally changed the way the art world views glass pipes and their makers. More importantly, this popularity and the changing attitude toward functional glass has influenced artistic expression. As the field continues to evolve and as a burgeoning generation of pipe makers become proficient, how will the consummate generation of “heady pipe” makers navigate a new landscape?

As the black sheep of the glass world, pipemakers have always been resourceful and adaptive, however, social media platforms, a capricious market, and an ageless fan base seem to have gradually altered the original intention of the glass pipe artist. Which was to satisfy the creative urge by making beautifully intricate smoking apparatus. The voice of this misunderstood group of makers could be heard through these creations.

Collection of pipes and objects "The Junk Series" by Kimberly Thomas. Photo courtesy of the artist.

What has the functional glass movement contributed to the field of contemporary glass? It’s clear that pipemakers have tested the limits of borosilicate glass. They've pushed technique far beyond what was considered possible. They have opened a portal for a new generation of collectors and art appreciators and have embraced new ways for collectors to connect with the glass world at large. They have turned flameworked “tchotchke” into high ticket works of art. And, they have breathed life into the world of art education by filling classes at premiere craft schools.

As functional glass has become more mainstream through social media, the legalization of cannabis, and new found recognition, the market has changed. And, in turn, has modified the artistic direction of many makers. How will these changes affect the functional glass movement?

Originally, pipemakers were a group of outcasts, shunned and underestimated by institutions and serious art collectors. Likewise, functional glass makers were just as uninterested in them. And, making pipes was illegal. These outsiders were autodidacts who were able to flourish because of the freedom pipe making allowed. This is probably the best thing that could have happened to a group of artists.

Like any serious endeavor, flameworking requires full immersion. Long hours of practice and repetition. And, of course, many failures. The lack of rules, formal instruction, and criticism combined with ambition and a love of making things out of glass was a driving force in the success pipemakers see today. At this time, the field was truly artist driven. They loved what they did, which became a lifestyle. And unknowingly had embraced the concepts behind “Art For Art’s Sake”.

More than a decade later, the field still lacks diversity in terms of gender and race. It has become increasingly industrialized, akin to fast fashion. A popularity contest tempered by the consumer. The movement has

plateaued in some respects. This generation of makers has found the sweet spot. An innovative and attractive production piece they can make by the hundreds, in different colors, and sell to adoring fans. No artist is too good for production work, and we all need money. But is this what we set out to do? Perhaps we are resting on our laurels. Hanging out in the dreaded comfort zone, only it’s really not that comfortable.

As we continue to live on earth, our needs as human beings change. We've grown up, started families, sustained injuries, and bought houses. We live in a capitalist society. We will always need to earn a living. However, as we have gotten older, our core customer base has stayed the same age. As we grow as people, our needs as creators have also evolved. Artists are questioning purpose and intention now more than ever.

Making bongs for the 18-35 year-old demographic doesn’t quite hit like it

used to. Artists aren't able to enjoy the same freedom of expression they once did. Money has failed to bring them the happiness they thought it would. Though the community remains strong as friends and colleagues, there is a growing disconnect between the consumer and the maker that did not previously exist. A general lack of sophistication and knowledge about how our work is made and its significance is the culprit. This generation of glass makers is searching for fulfillment. Something so many artists have been thinking about, but the topic is never formally addressed.

While burnout and a general sense of malaise plague the scene, pipemakers struggle to reclaim their integrity. And, as the exhaustion of monotony persists, artists have decided to switch axis. Folks are starting to re-evaluate what it means to be an artist, or whether they should be artists at all. Pipe making is merely a means to an end for some, it helps fund

Molten Art Classic #7, an event held by Ziggy's Smoke Shop and Classic 33 Studio. Lead by Adam Whoobrey, a team of artists assemble every year to build highly technical functional sculpture with borosilicate glass. Pictured: Adam Whobrey, Trevor Selby, Justin Jenicke, Rocko Belloso, Andrew Morris

other endeavors they would rather pursue. Others are revamping business structures by discontinuing certain products and terminating employees. They are putting their passion for glass first by setting aside production to simply make whatever they want, take classes, and travel to collaborate with other artists and experiment with different mediums. Of course, there is a group that is content to continue on the present course. Then there are the artists who have decided to continue to work in glass, but leave the pipe industry altogether and direct their focus to making fine art, teaching, and other intellectual pursuits. I foresee many pipemakers crossing over to fine arts within the next decade. While a mass exodus is unlikely, most will keep one foot in the pipe making pool, considering a lingering lack of trust between the makers and institutions. Additionally, pipemakers are accustomed to a more informal way of working and handling business. Besides, being a pipemaker is badass.

As the veil continues to thin, pipemakers have become more palatable to institutions. Their works are now included in exhibitions at fine art galleries and live in permanent collections at museums. Consequently, more artists will set their sights on getting work in front of a much broader audience. These growing pains are all part of the natural progression of a movement, however, it doesn’t make it any easier for the ones experiencing it. They’re sensitive artists, after all.

Pipe making has existed in a bubble. Hopefully, it will burst sooner than later. With a change in perspective and self-realization we will see pipemakers reach a whole new level of success that is much closer than they believe. These artists have only gotten better at blowing glass over the last decade. There is no lack of talent amongst them. Following dreams seems unrealistic, especially when there are mortgages to pay and mouths to feed. But, doing hoodrat shit with your friends while making museum quality work is a dream come true! We've

already accomplished so much. Let’s bring the magic back. An intentional, collective push to renew autonomy and passion for making would inevitably lead to a drastic elevation of flameworked borosilicate functional and sculptural glass art. The community just needs a little coaxing, encouragement, and support. I’m excited to be dreaming again…and excited for more pipemakers to start dreaming again too.

Kimberly Thomas is a glass artist, storyteller and inventor, residing in Denver Colorado.

Irina

Production work by Matt Robertson at Champs trade show. Photo courtesy of the artist.

THE RISE OF CONTEMPORARY TURKISH ART GLASS

by Fatma Ciftci

The story that follows chronicles the development of art glass in Turkey through the eyes of an artist, academic, and a glass lover who is about to finish her PhD in glass. Since 2003, I have been a close witness to this development marked by the acceleration of modernized artistic processes in glass that began in Turkey in the late part of the last century.

The introduction of glass into the curricula in the Faculty of Fine Arts first started in 1987, but these initiatives were not sustainable and did not last long. It is important to understand that university education in Turkey is free of charge, so the institutions use tax money to fund the university. Hot glass equipment was hard to maintain, as some diesel-fueled furnaces were established in the universities but then closed. However, a sustainable educational program was finally established in 1991, in Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts, Ceramics and Glass Department in Istanbul. This institution is where I received my Bachelor Degree in 2007. The glass studio was equipped with electric kilns and cold-working equipment. Since 1995, the curriculum has been designed in accordance with the glass as an individual art major starting from the first grade [1]. The education embraced the Bauhaus School approach, therefore, they were conscious of designing for industrial production. It is different from the arts and crafts approach because it does not exclude industrial production, but offers new designs to production that are oriented to industry. Doing one’s apprenticeship was very important and encouraged students to learn glass making techniques. Four years after my graduation, the university established a hot glass workshop, Scientific Research Project (BAPKO), carried out by Assoc. Prof. Nurdan Yılmaz Arslan [2]. By the virtue of the project, the renovation and repair of the existing equipment in the glass studio and

The Glass Furnace Foundation / Cam Ocagi Vakfi

(Photo by: The Glass Furnace Foundation)

Visiting Artist Jan Wyskaril at The Glass Furnace Foundation / Cam Ocagi Vakfi

(Photo by: The Glass Furnace Foundation)

6th International Denizli Glass Biennale, The First Glass Fashion Show, 2021 (Photo by: Glass Biennale Photo Archive)

the machines such as the newly purchased glass fusion kiln allowed for next level possibilities in the glass art major. This project is crowned with the “Outstanding Service Award” by the Rectorate [3].

The existence of The Glass Furnace Foundation which was established in 2002, has held a major role in developing the art glass field. Because of its location in Istanbul, the Glass Furnace became an opportunity for the new generation of glass students. Though it was relatively expensive as a private institution where international artists taught long-term and short-term workshops in a variety glass making techniques, the foundation eventually gave away scholarships for glass students. When I first started my education in 2003, the opportunities to learn and practice hot glass were few. Now, the hot glass field in Turkey has many possibilities of getting scholarships, working as an apprentice, and events for networking. I had the opportunity to meet international glass artists and makers via The Glass Furnace Foundation. I had attended 8 courses as a trainee, student and teaching assistant as the time went by. The foundation organized an International Artist in Residency Program in 2016, consisting of local and foreign artists working with all techniques of glass making. When a TV show on Turkey's local arts television channel wanted to shoot a documentary about me, and my glassworks, they allowed us to use the venue. I felt that I was part of a glass family and was supported when I needed it. Recently, they carried out a project to bring new techniques to the handicraft masters, whose number is very low, to ensure sustainability by teaching these techniques to their apprentices. A series of technical workshops for experienced artists and artisans was established in order to bring Reticello, Zanfirico, Tessuto, and overlay techniques from Italian and Scandinavian glass techniques to Turkish glass art, and to hybridize the techniques with traditional Turkish forms to create new works to represent Turkish glass art. Despite the difficulties and obstacles, the leading institutions have made significant contributions that makes today’s Turkish glass even more valuable. Institutions such as the Glass Furnace Foundation, and the

Turkish Cultural Foundation lead the way in promoting Turkey's presence in contemporary glass art to the world. I hope the Glass Furnace Foundation, as an international space where master makers and artists share their knowledge and experience, will continue playing a part in Turkish art glass.

Another important development in the field of education is the "Glass Department" of Anadolu University Fine Arts Faculty in 2004. The Department, established under the chairmanship of Assoc. Prof. Ekrem Kula, continues to be the first and only Glass Department established in Eskisehir, Turkey. This university had the privilege of hiring glassblowers who had retired from Sisecam Glass Factory and incorporating a glass furnace. This is the institution where I received my MFA in Glass Art in 2017 and worked as a Research Associate. This university’s biggest advantage is a healthy circulating capital which helps to maintain a natural gas fueled hot glass kiln. MFA students and Research associates have potential to carry glass art one step further, so the policy of such well-equipped studios should be open to them, but not limited to producing only within the scope of a lecture. The praise they win and the techniques they explore as the institution will be credited to the lecturer.

The Glass Fellowship, founded in 2005

by Izzettin Baki and Ekrem Ozen under the leadership of Gultekin Cizgen, brought together glass enthusiasts. This initiative welcomed all glass enthusiasts as hobbyists, artists, artisans, and academics. This union is important because it prompted the establishment of the first and only Contemporary Museum of Art Glass in Turkey. This initiative began with 7 group exhibitions held in different cities of Turkey. On arrival at the last destination, Anadolu University Head of Glass Department Assoc. Prof. Ekrem Kula and Metropolitan Mayor of Eskisehir Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Buyukersen had supported the establishment of the Museum. I opened my first solo exhibition in this museum in 2017 and they supported me with ads and posters all around the city.

As we consider the pioneers and development of Turkish glass, it is important to maintain the legacy. It is surprising that after 10 years of the establishment of the museum, I was the first artist who had a solo glass exhibition in the museum. As leader in the field, especially residents in the city, we need to embrace and contribute more to the Museum. Disconnects between institutions makes the development slower than it could be. Thus, we need improved authority from the museum in every glass event in the field. I mention this not solely as an encouragement for attending to the protocol of the events for taking

6th International Denizli Glass Biennale, During Live Flamework Competition, 2021 (Photography: Denizli Glass Biennale Photo Archive)

pictures for promotion, but understanding the scope of glass making and getting in touch with the people involved in the field, seeking opportunities of building up new projects and networks. As the partners of the field, the boundaries between the authorities and artists should be blended. The approach should be either all together or none of us go forward.

The “Denizli International Glass Biennials” have been held regularly since 2011 by craftsmen-artist couple Omur & Fatih Duruerk, owner of Karma Design Studio, financed by Denizli Metropolitan Municipality. In the last biennial held in 2021, Turkey's first Glass Dress Fashion Show was held. The fashion show, which broadcasted live on a local TV channel, featured glass dresses of 32 hobbyists, designers and artists. In this event, a simultaneous glass competition was also held. Although it is not an academic event, speakers of the conferences held within the scope of the biennial consist of art historians, academics, and world-renowned international artists. In addition to the seminars, exhibitions, flameworking, kilnforming, and cold glass techniques are demonstrated at the festival. I always love taking part in this event, as an academic, a designer, and as a glass enthusiast. Everyone who works with glass, can find a their niche at the event in one way or another.

M. Kemal Ataturk established Turkey's first glass factory Sisecam Inc. in 1934 during the Republican period. Today, Sisecam Inc. has 83 companies in the fields of flat glass, automotive, glassware, design, mining, chemicals, recycling, packaging and fiberglass, and continues to produce glass in many countries of the world. With the sponsorship of Sisecam Inc. and The Glass Furnace Foundation, the exhibition "Designed in Istanbul" and "Mediterranean Impressions of Turkish Glass" took place at Edsvik Konsthall (gallery) and The Glass Factory (museum) in Sweden. The works of 39 selected five artists to be exhibited together with the Sisecam Glass Collection. Sisecam Glass Symposium has been held since 1988 and although it has an industrial scope, it is one of the most established symposiums in our country. Through this factory, glassblowing and cut glass masters were professionally grown. When Erkin Saygı, the general manager of Sisecam Inc., and Ruhcan Topaloğlu, the cut glass master trained by Pasabahce Factory, retired in 2001, they opened a glass workshop together. The works produced by them were exhibited at the SOFA Chicago art fair, at the “Turks Glas” exhibition held in the Netherlands in 2004. They still run the studio together in Beykoz, Istanbul.

The latest major development is Beykoz Glass and Crystal Museum that was established in 2021 under the supervision

of Prof. Uzlifat Ozgumus, in a pavilion built during the Ottoman period in Beykoz. In this museum, 1480 pieces of glass works are exhibited. These precious artifacts, which were previously displayed or waiting in the warehouses of other museums in Turkey. We are delighted to see them brought to light in an entitled concept. It would be amazing if there would be a Contemporary Glass Gallery, to show how far we have come. I wish there would be a sufficient research library about glass in every context.

The story is focused on the pioneers, but I think that everyone working in the field of glass in Turkey takes this field one-step further in their own way. I hope that in the near future the vision of kiln-glass can be developed and supported as much as hot glass. The approach of art glass in Turkey marginalizes artists working with electric kilns, placing the greatest significance on artists who work with hot glass. There are still many modern methods to be discovered and utilized in kiln-glass produced in an electric kiln. Turkey needs to be supported by contemporary glass galleries to represent and support the artists, and show how far the medium has progressed. With a rich history and expanding technical and artistic field, artists and scholars would benefit greatly from a research library that houses and catalogues the developments within the country and knowledge from around the world. While Turkey does not hold the same level of prominence and notoriety as many European leaders in glass, there is a great deal of history, contemporary scholarship, and makers that we take pride in. Our story is one that will continue to expand and I am excited to see how the collaboration of our community and influence of our makers will progress will shape the future of Turkish glass art.

[1][2] Interview with Nurdan Arslan on 31.Oct.2019

[3] Arslan, Nurdan. (2013). Sanat-Tasarım Dergisi. Volume 1. Issue 4. Serbest Cam Tasarımı ve Endüstriyel Cam Tasarımı Eğitiminde Sıcak Cam Atölyesinin Önemi. p.39-46.

Fatma Cįftcį is a Research Associate in the Department of Ceramics and Glass at Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Fine Arts.

Glass Studio in Anadolu University Faculty of Fine Arts, Glass Department students blow glass, 2016 (Photo Credit: Fatma Çiftçi)

GLASS IN LATIN AMERICA: STRENGTHEN OUR OWN, CROSSING LIMITS, AND BUILDING BRIDGES

by María Diaz de Vivar

What does Latin American glass art reflect? We evaluated the glass art landscape with local artists who have made their way and are seeking international recognition. In dialogue with pioneers in the field of glass art in Latin America, we wanted to know how they developed their careers, what can be improved and how they see the future of artistic glass in the region.

“There are a number of places where glass flourished in the 21st century, including Argentina. We need a great glass exhibition in the United States, which can reflect the production of that country”, said William Warmus, recently referring to the works of two outstanding artists, Silvia Levenson and Andrea Da Ponte.

Opening the panorama of activity in the field across South and Central America, artistic glass has had remarkable growth and expansion in the last decade. The region's artists produce more and more works using techniques and resources with audacity and flexibility. In each country, artistic production reflects identity and diversity.

In the beginning, everything revolved around the stained glass window, which can be seen in historic buildings in cities and churches as well as in hidden corners of historic family homes. Latin American artists experimented with glass blowing, and over time some began to investigate the use of fused window glass to develop sculptural forms. And following, kiln-casting and lampworking came into the scope of techniques used around Latin America.

There is a growing appreciation of the qualities of glass as a resistant and ductile material, embraced both for its transparencies and for its subtleties and fragility. An important point to keep in mind is the limitation that local creators

face in the lack of dialogue, institutional structures, and tools. Young artists do not always gain access to specialized technical training with national and international teachers and makers. Even so, when it comes to highlighting strengths, experimentation with float glass has grown in recent times, achieving interesting results and, in some cases, extraordinary ones, even to foreign eyes. Among the artists who choose this glass to express themselves, we can mention Rubén Fasani from Argentina and Tulio Pinto from Brazil.

“For my works I choose to work with discarded glass. I recycle float, and in this way, I collaborate with ecology. Working with cheap materials, allows me to carry out some of my research and experiment with low costs”, explains Fasani, from his studio.

In recent years, countries such as Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, and Costa Rica have developed artistic glass communites that are increasingly

connected, creating the synergy and expression between group of artists. Bridges are built and from my online platform, Objetos con Vidrio, I carry out a work of dissemination and interviews with local and international artists. In addition to being a place of registration and documentation, it seeks to stimulate collaboration between artists. Over the past fifteen years, it has connected creative worlds and promoted networking. Two significant events have brought the community together: Ibero-American Women in Glass Congress at the MAVA (Alcorcón Museum of Glass Art) in Madrid, Spain, and the International Biennial of Glass in Ibero-America in Cártago, Costa Rica.

Andrea Da Ponte demonstrates how artists from the region can come to produce and exhibit their pieces. An artist, teacher and a leader in experimentation with glass, Da Ponte says that the search for perfect the line was what led her to investigate a variety of methods. "I developed an experimental

Ibero-American Women in Glass Congress at the MAVA (Alcorcón Museum of Glass Art) in Madrid, Spain

technique for transferring images to glass, capturing a full-color image on glass with photographic quality, inside and outside volumes, providing multiple viewpoints through the vitreous mass," she explains with infectious clarity and enthusiasm. Andrea is also a passionate teacher and shares her knowledge with students from Argentina and around the world ,creating spaces for communication and technical application of newly developed methods.

Among the most prominent Latin American names in glass, is Marta Isabel Martinez, who came into contact with the medium while studying Industrial Design at the National University of Colombia, in Bogotá, and fell in love with the possibilities offered by the material. Her series of utilitarian objects, sculptures, and stained glass windows stand out, but she has continued to develop her technical vocabulary.

“When I learned about the lampworking technique, I discovered that I could have a direct and immediate dialogue with the glass, contrary to what happens with other techniques, in which working times have sequences and stages that force a wait. With the torch I felt I could have direct communication and control with the material. I decided to enable it, not hide it or disguise it. I did not want to make pieces with glass that could be made of another material. I wanted to highlight its

transparency, and highlight the charm of “colorless” which, after all, is the sum of all colors”.

Eduardo Silva Prado lives in Brazil and started working in a fusing studio and later developed his production methods in blown glass. Until in 2000, his country suffered an energy crisis, and the use of gas had to be drastically reduced. The contingency forced him to stop using the ovens and now he remembers it like this: “I had to close the studio and I could only make a few pieces by renting ovens from the glass industry for an hour, such as bottles, glasses, etc. And since I had no color to use, I brought glass paint from the USA and started making the painted pieces. At first, I only painted the exterior of the pieces. Then, in a small factory, I managed to cover the paintings with hot glass. I did this for a few years, and one of my pieces was chosen to participate in the glass triennial in Kanazawa, Japan.”

At the training level, in Latin America there are various schools and free training spaces where techniques are learned and there are notable examples of development at the regional level. It is surprising to see the designs of the artists who work within the communities, some far from the big cities. The expressive force of their works, which often reflects the environment or, rather, becomes part of a whole. Then there

are those who access further training and travel the world to return with fresh eyes and techniques. Through scholarships, residencies and training, some artists use these exchanges and access materials, equipment and infrastructure to develop their works beyond local borders.

The Peruvian artist Romina Gonzales, for example, did her formative years in the United States and says that this led her to "find a different vision of things, and to broaden a perspective of possibilities that she did not know before." Another important point has to do with promotion and accessing the market with the connections to collectors, the support of local and international museums, and gallery owners. The spaces that exhibit work are small and have begun to link up and make contact with institutions and companies in search of support.

IVIS Gallery, for example, seeks to make visible the work of glass artists from IberoAmerica through international exhibitions. The artist and curator Lucia Warck-Meister has been carrying out interesting work and is excited to state that creative work with glass is gaining a strong foothold in areas where it was previously somewhat relegated. "This is a discipline that has finally crossed the boundaries of the decorative arts to be considered a means of production within the visual arts."

Marta Isabel Ramirez Silva “Mutantis”

(Photo courtesy of the artist)

Eduardo Silva Prado, glass sculpture, painted, encased in hot (2000 F) clear glass, when cold painted again, encased again. Creating many different layers.

Make a Fused Glass Sink with Lisa Vogt

April 21

Glass Casting with Dennis Brady

April 26

Among the pioneers of Latin American Glass are Silvia Levenson, Miriam Di Fiore, Águeda Dicranco, Eduardo Silva Prado, Mercedes Vivas, Raquel Stolarski, Isabel de Obaldia and the de la Torre Brothers, who paved the way for others, as is the case of Narcissus Quagliata who has been living in Mexico for thirty years.

As for the most innovative artists of the next generation, it is worth mentioning some names with international projection: Andrea Da Ponte, Ana Laura Quintana, Ruben Fasani, Natalia Geschcovich, Marta Isabel Ramírez, Silvia Monge, Gladys Sevillano, Ana María Nava, Ivan Navarro, Tulio Pinto and Romina Gonzalez, among others.

The potential is evident in countries like Argentina where the use of glass is very popular. What is needed are more opportunities. That is why many choose to go to educational spaces of excellence that exist in cities in the United States and Europe. Many of these schools will facilitate scholarships or offer financial resources to the expanding community of Latin American artists whose works are more established. Being able to count on more visibility and resources would make possible a change and even a leap for the community of the region.

Behind the Scenes: The Early Years of the Studio Glass Movement Lecture with Henry Halem

April 28

Roughing It— Alcohol Ink on Stained Glass with Cathy Claycomb

May 3

Vitrigraph—Pouring, Pulling, Playing with Dennis Brady

May 5

Fused Glass Lilies with Dale Keating May 12

Making Waterslide Decals with Scott Ouderkirk

May 24

Marketing for Artists Lecture with Joseph Cavalieri May 26

Coldworking with Dennis Brady

Romina Gonzales “A Mound, a Corner or a Grotto” (Photo courtesy of the artist)

EL VIDRIO EN AMÉRICA LATINA

by María Diaz de Vivar

¿Qué refleja el arte en vidrio de América Latina? Evaluamos la situación con exponentes locales que se abrieron camino y van buscando proyección internacional. En diálogo con los pioneros del campo del arte en vidrio de América Latina, quisimos saber cómo desarrollaron sus carreras, qué puede mejorar y cómo ven el futuro del vidrio artístico de esta región.

“Hay una serie de lugares donde el vidrio floreció en el siglo XXI., entre ellos, Argentina. Necesitamos una gran exhibición de vidrio en Estados Unidos, que pueda reflejar la producción de ese país”, dijo recientemente William Warmus, tomando como referencia las obras de dos destacadas artistas, Silvia Levenson y Andrea Da Ponte.

Abriendo el panorama hacia el continente, el vidrio artístico en América Latina ha tenido un crecimiento y una expansión notables en la última década. Los artistas realizan obras con características singulares, técnicas propias y utilizan los recursos con audacia y ductilidad. En cada país, las producciones reflejan identidad y diversidad.

En los comienzos, todo giró en torno al vitral, que puede verse en emblemáticos edificios históricos y tanto en iglesias como en rincones escondidos de casas de otras épocas. Algunos experimentaron con el soplado de vidrio. Luego se dio comienzó a la investigación del uso de vidrio de ventana fusionado hasta llegar a formas escultóricas, y después llego la técnica kiln-casting y lampwork.

Por un lado, se ve una valoración mayor de las cualidades del vidrio como material resistente y dúctil tanto por sus transparencias, sutilidades y posible vulnerabilidad. Un punto importante a

tener en cuenta es la limitación en relación a la falta de insumos, estructuras y herramientas. Además, los artistas jóvenes no siempre acceden a la especialización con maestros y técnicos nacionales e internacionales. Pero a la hora de resaltar fortalezas, en los últimos tiempos ha crecido la experimentación con vidrio float logrando resultados interesantes y en algunos casos, sorprendentes, incluso para la mirada extranjera. Entre los artistas que eligen este vidrio para expresarse podemos mencionar a Rubén Fasani de Argentina y a Tulio Pinto de Brasil.

Rubén Fasani: “Para mis obras elijo trabajar con vidrio de descarte –reciclo float– y de esa manera colaboro con la ecología. Al ser económico, me permite llevar adelante alguna de mis investigaciones y experimentar con costos bajos”.

En los últimos años, y en tiempos de virtualidad, algunos países como Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia o

Costa Rica, integran una comunidad del vidrio artístico cada vez más conectada y que busca potenciar la sinergia y expresión de cada obra o conjunto de artistas, tender puentes o tejer colaboraciones. Desde mi plataforma online Objetos con Vidrio, que ya tiene 15 años, realizo un trabajo de difusión y entrevistas a artistas locales e internacionales, esto a demás de ser un lugar de registro, busca estimular la labor de las producciones artísticas.

Dos eventos importantes que nuclearon a la comunidad fueron el Congreso Iberoamericano Mujeres en el Vidrio en el MAVA (Museo de Arte en Vidrio de Alcorcón) en Madrid, España y la Bienal Internacional del Vidrio en Iberoamérica en Cártago, Costa Rica.

¿Cómo hacen los que están produciendo arte en vidrio? Andrea Da Ponte, artista y docente y gran referente de la experimentación con el material en la región, cuenta: “Mi búsqueda por perfeccionar la línea, me impulsó a

El Congreso Iberoamericano Mujeres en el Vidrio en el MAVA (Museo de Arte en Vidrio de Alcorcón) en Madrid, España

investigar diversos métodos. Desarrollé una técnica experimental de traspaso de imagen al vidrio, llegando a plasmar una imagen a todo color sobre vidrio con calidad fotográfica, dentro y fuera de volúmenes, obteniendo lecturas múltiples a través de la masa vítrea.” – explica ella, con una claridad y entusiasmo contagiosos!”

“Me apasiona la docencia y comparto mis conocimientos con alumnos de Argentina y de todo el mundo creando nuevos espacios de comunicación y experimentación de los métodos recientemente desarrollados.”

Otra de las artistas, Marta Isabel Martinez tomó contacto con el vidrio mientras cursaba la carrera de Diseño Industrial en la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, en Bogotá, y se enamoró de las posibilidades que le brindaba el material. Luego de recibirse, viajó a Italia para profundizar sobre el tema junto al Maestro Augusto Ranocchi, y se formó con maestros como Gero Köellman, Narcissus Quagliata, Mario Maldonado, Gianni Toso, Emilio Santini y Simone Crestani. Marta Isabel investiga y desarrolla maneras de expresase con el vidrio. Ha producido series de objetos utilitarios, piezas de autor, esculturas, vitrales para grandes y pequeños espacios, incursionando en diferentes técnicas: vitral, vitrofusión, mosaico.

“Cuando conocí la técnica de lampworking, descubrí que podía tener un diálogo directo e inmediato con el vidrio, al contrario de lo que ocurre con otras técnicas, en las que los tiempos de trabajo tienen unas secuencias y etapas que obligan a una espera en la que uno no participa. Con el soplete sentí que podía tener una comunicación y un control directo con el material. Y también quería ennoblecerlo, no esconderlo ni disimularlo. Yo no quería hacer cosas con vidrio que se pudieran hacer en otro material. Quise destacar su transparencia, y resaltar el encanto del no color que al fin y al cabo es la suma de todos los colores”.

Eduardo Silva Prado, de Brazil, empezó a trabajar en un estudio de fusión y luego logró crear desde un estudio de vidrio soplado. Hasta que en 2000, Brasil sufrió una crisis energética, y tuvo que reducir drásticamente el uso de gas y ya no pudo utilizar los hornos. “Tuve que cerrar el estudio y solo realicé algunas piezas alquilando hornos de industria del vidrio por una hora, como botellas, vasos, etc. Y como no tenía color para usar, traje pintura para vidrio de USA y comencé a hacer las piezas pintadas. Al principio sólo pintaba el exterior de las piezas, luego en una pequeña fábrica conseguí cubrir las pinturas con vidrio caliente. Hice esto durante unos años, y una de mis piezas fue

elegida para participar en una trienal de vidrio en Japón, en Kanazawa”.

A nivel educativo, existen diversas escuelas o espacios de formación gratuitos donde se aprenden técnicas y hay ejemplos notables de desarrollo a nivel regional y artistas maravillosos que trabajan en el interior de las comunidades produciendo obra. Luego están los que acceden a una mayor formación y viajan por el mundo para volver con los ojos renovados. A través de becas, residencias o capacitaciones, se sirven del intercambio y acceden a materiales, equipos e infraestructura para proyectar sus obras más allá de las fronteras locales.

El potencial es evidente, y en países como Argentina, es realmente popular el uso del vidrio para el arte. Lo que se necesitan son más oportunidades. Por eso es de esperar que los espacios educativos de excelencia que existen en ciudades de Estados Unidos y Europa faciliten becas u ofrezcan recursos financieros a ciertos artistas latinos en expansión. Poder contar con más visibilidad y recursos posibilitaría un cambio y hasta un salto, tal vez, para la comunidad de la región.

La artista peruana Romina Gonzales estudió en Estados Unidos y cuenta que eso la llevó a “mirar una visión distinta de

Marta Isabel Ramirez Silva “Mutantis” (Foto cortesía de la artista)

Eduardo Silva Prado, escultura de vidrio, pintada, encerrada en vidrio transparente caliente (2000 F), cuando se vuelve a pintar en frío, se vuelve a encerrar. Creando muchas capas diferentes.

las cosas y a ampliar una perspectiva a posibilidades que antes no conocía”.

Otro punto importante es potenciar el mercado con la incorporación de coleccionistas, apoyo de museos y galeristas. La poca cantidad de espacios que exponen obra, recién ahora empieza a vincularse y a tomar contacto con instituciones y empresas internacionales.

La galería IVIS Gallery, por ejemplo, busca visibilizar la obra de artistas del vidrio de Iberoamérica a través de exposiciones internacionales. La artista y curadora Lucia Warck-Meister cuenta que se trata de “una disciplina que finalmente ha cruzado los límites de las artes decorativas para ser considerada un medio de producción dentro de las artes visuales."

GAS OPPORTUNITIES

To access the Glass Art Society’s up-to-date opportunities, just click on the links below.

CALLS FOR ENTRY

Algunos de los pioneros fueron: Silvia Levenson, Miriam Di Fiore, Águeda Dicranco, Eduardo Silva Prado, Mercedes Vivas, Raquel Stolarski, Isabel de Obaldia, los hermanos De la Torre por nombrar a algunos, o el caso de Narcissus Quagliata que vive en México desde hace 30 años.

Y entre los artistas destacados e innovadores, también hay nombres que tienen proyección internacional, como Andrea Da Ponte, Ana Laura Quintana, Ruben Fasani, Natalia Geschcovich, Marta Isabel Ramírez, Silvia Monge, Gladys Sevillano, Ana María Nava, Ivan Navarro, Tulio Pinto, Romina Gonzalez, etc.

JOB POSTINGS

CLASSES + WORKSHOPS

EVENTS

EXHIBITIONS

AWARDS + NOMINATIONS

Romina Gonzales "Un montículo, un rincón o una gruta" (Foto cortesía de la artista)