The impossible dream of glass

Of all the materials, glass is undoubtedly the most fascinating, transcending the volume by its transparency, reflections and colours, creating an unequalled magic.

But it is also by far the most indomitable.

Working glass, it's like working volcano’s lava in fusion passing from liquid to solid phases in a few seconds.

It requires virtuosity and the simultaneous work of several artisans to bring the molten mass, sculpt or blow while playing on the temperature variations to allow its modelling.

One of many challenges comes from the management of masses of molten glass, not only to create forms but, more importantly, to manage the risk of distortion when changing temperatures.
Once the form carried out, two major risks threaten craftsmen: sag, if the cooling is too slow, or break, if it is too fast.

Additional difficulty, colour management requires a subliminal reading. The molten piece remaining in a range of red more or less dark, the final colour is revealed only at the end of cooling of the work.

Finally, the skills of glass artisans are generally limited to repetitive work. Few people have a creative ability to manage the production of artworks.

Also, many artists confronted with the glass have met discouraging failures.