Art Glass Studies for a Changing World—The International Year of Glass

A special issue of Arts (ISSN 2076-0752). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Arts".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 11394

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Director of Postgraduate Taught, Lecturer in Glass, Vice Chair of the RAFT Research Group, School of Design, Edinburgh College of Art, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, UK
Interests: glassmaking; glass design; art glass; practice-based research; digital-technologies; collaborative practice; inter-disciplinarity; materiality; mixed media; material combinations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Senior Curator of Modern & Contemporary Design, Department of Global Arts, Cultures and Design, National Museums Scotland, Chambers St, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK
Interests: nordic and British modernist jewellery design; contemporary craft with a focus on ceramics, glass and jewellery; 20th century European art and design and the integration and interpretation of historical collections by working artists and makers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since their publication in 2015, the world has reflected upon and utilised the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) as a target, revising its actions and focusing its research drivers with an aim to implement these goals by 2030. This call to action is a collective, universal wake-up call to end poverty, protect the environment, achieve gender equality, and ensure health, well-being, peace and prosperity for all. However, what does this mean in terms of art glass? Two themes for this journal have been developed to find the answer.

  1. Articles that examine a range of sustainability drivers focused on responsible glass production and consumption, the key changes being made through studio practice, and exemplar models of practice will be welcomed.
  1. Articles that examine a range of equality, diversity and inclusivity drivers from the perspective of the art glass community, and articles that engage with socio-political narratives will be welcomed.

The far-reaching effect of the SDGs when viewed through the lens of the international art glass movement is an engaging and exciting topic to examine. Understanding how these goals can be or have been applied to contemporary art glass practice, education and its community is an important enquiry for this sector. This Special Issue will focus on the effect of the Sustainable Development Goals and how they can act within creative art glass practice as a form of socio-political commentary and narrative.

We invite potential contributors to submit written reports on their research, creative practice, innovations, and experiences in the field of art glass, which will be considered by our review panel.

Dr. Jessamy Kelly and Sarah Rothwell Collection Editors

This second edition, is a follow on from the first edition Topical Collection: "Contemporary Glass Art: Materiality and Digital Technologies"

2022 is the International Year of Glass, a significant and vital moment for the art glass community to consider the impact glass has on the world and challenge the status quo, leading to change within our international community of practice. This Special Issue will offer a series of papers from a diverse community of researchers and practitioners who are advancing and challenging the boundaries of the field of art glass through their work and research. Through their contributions, a new perspective about the changing world of contemporary art glass will be presented.

Dr. Jessamy Kelly
Sarah Rothwell
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Arts is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • art glass
  • studio glass
  • socio-political commentary
  • new narratives
  • Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • sustainability
  • equality
  • diversity inclusivity (EDI)

Published Papers (6 papers)

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24 pages, 6744 KiB  
Article
Aspects of Coexistence between Art Glass and Architecture—Façade Graphics
by Alina Lipowicz-Budzyńska
Arts 2024, 13(3), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts13030110 - 20 Jun 2024
Viewed by 239
Abstract
One of the key concerns for present-day society is the need to build the environment in which we live in a sustainable way, using green solutions, but without losing the aesthetic values. The following study proves that, when applied in the right way, [...] Read more.
One of the key concerns for present-day society is the need to build the environment in which we live in a sustainable way, using green solutions, but without losing the aesthetic values. The following study proves that, when applied in the right way, façade graphics support sustainability. Art glass placed inside the envelope significantly influences a number of aspects related to how a building functions, improving the quality of a given architectural space’s properties. Façade graphics have a considerable effect, as they control the intensity of light penetrating to the interior and provide support sunlight protection. Façade graphics act as a cover that controls how images filter through from the inside to the outside and from the outside to the inside. The graphics may be used to show messaging directed at the public. Art glass located in the external partition has a significant impact on several aspects of the functioning of an architectural object. In the preliminary examination, a few factors that determine the scope of such effect were identified, including the structure of the glass layer and of the image. The objective of this publication is to determine to what degree the structure of an image on glass, and the artistic means associated with it, influence the scope of the visual effect of a glass partition, as well as its functional properties, and how important for the reception of architectural space are the artistic values of glazing, in terms of its form, dynamics, composition, and colours, as well as the means by which the applied image impacts its surroundings. These means result from selection of suitable execution techniques and strategies for shaping the partition. The research concerns aspects of interconnection between graphics and the architectural space; its artistic, compositional, integrating, and covering role. The work is important in further research on the use of facade graphics in the utility and visual aspect. Full article
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19 pages, 8484 KiB  
Article
Clean-Up Workers (Deluxe Series): The Embodiment of Waste Values and Aesthetics
by Gayle Matthias
Arts 2023, 12(5), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12050204 - 19 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1607
Abstract
Written from the perspective of practice-led research, this reflective case study rationalises and charts the production of ‘Clean-Up Workers (Deluxe Series)’—mixed media sculptures that embody notions of waste aesthetic, value and abjection. Integrating discourses surrounding waste theory and using the sink and plug [...] Read more.
Written from the perspective of practice-led research, this reflective case study rationalises and charts the production of ‘Clean-Up Workers (Deluxe Series)’—mixed media sculptures that embody notions of waste aesthetic, value and abjection. Integrating discourses surrounding waste theory and using the sink and plug as a metaphor to discuss Lacan’s theory of the objet petit a, the paper is presented as an autobiographical waste narrative. Production of a series of anatomical vacuum cleaners made from re-appropriated artwork found waste materials in the form of ‘pre-owned objects or materials’ and ‘by-products’ of a creative practice’, sit alongside crafted luxurious glass objects and speak of corporeal ageing, dysfunction and the domestic realm. Discarded objects take the form of car parts found in the non-places of the gutter. Through assemblage, these unique items’ ‘use-time’ is recontextualised and elevated as art objects viewed within a gallery arena. Full article
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21 pages, 39602 KiB  
Article
Developing Techniques for Closed-Loop-Recycling Soda-Lime Glass Fines through Robotic Deposition
by Maria Sparre-Petersen and Simona Hnídková
Arts 2023, 12(4), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12040166 - 27 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1874
Abstract
Glass is made from sand—a finite resource. Hence, there is a need to maintain glass in the industrial cycle as described in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s circular-economy diagram. This research project examines the reallocation of material resources in the form of waste glass [...] Read more.
Glass is made from sand—a finite resource. Hence, there is a need to maintain glass in the industrial cycle as described in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s circular-economy diagram. This research project examines the reallocation of material resources in the form of waste glass fines from the industrial recycling process for soda-lime glass. According to the plant manager of Reiling Glasrecycling Danmark ApS, the fines are currently sold to be used for insulation. Although this process prolongs the lifespan of the fines before they become landfill waste, a closed-loop circular option would be preferable. In order to establish a closed-loop circular model for waste glass fines, this research investigates their material and aesthetic qualities and proposes a strategy for maintaining the fines in the closed loop cycle together with the soda-lime glass. The fines are manipulated through robotic deposition and formed into 3D geometries. To expand the aesthetic applications for the material, an investigation is conducted by combining 3D geometries with the traditional glassmaking techniques of glassblowing and casting. The research contributes knowledge of the materials’ technical qualities including printability, durability and workability of the 3D prints combined with cast or blown recycled container glass as well as with blown waste glass fines. Technical obstacles are revealed and alternative routes for further explorations are suggested. Finally, the performative and aesthetic qualities of the results are discussed, while artistic applications for recycled soda-lime glass fines remain to be explored in future research. Full article
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24 pages, 13898 KiB  
Article
Knickers in a Twist: Confronting Sexual Inequality through Art and Glass
by Sophie Longwill
Arts 2023, 12(4), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12040160 - 18 Jul 2023
Viewed by 3159
Abstract
Knickers, big, small, plain, sensual, provocative, or practical, can be an unremarkable part of everyday life or an object of feminist protest. Women’s clothing, like the experience of womanhood itself, can often have multiple contradictory narratives. In this essay, the author discusses the [...] Read more.
Knickers, big, small, plain, sensual, provocative, or practical, can be an unremarkable part of everyday life or an object of feminist protest. Women’s clothing, like the experience of womanhood itself, can often have multiple contradictory narratives. In this essay, the author discusses the history of women’s underwear and its links with socio-political revolution and feminist art. Against this contextual background, she discusses the development of the body of sculptures entitled Let’s Hook Up, a series of life-size, paper-thin drawings of lingerie in pâte de verre glass. The author details the artistic processes involved in making the works as well as the conceptual development and exploration of material and meaning. She demonstrates how artwork can act as a gateway to begin conversations about challenging topics like sexual assault whilst also providing a platform for creative expression and connection. Full article
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17 pages, 2677 KiB  
Conference Report
The Power of Glass: Craft Scotland Conference, 2022
by Sarah Rothwell and Jessamy Kelly
Arts 2023, 12(5), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12050183 - 25 Aug 2023
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Abstract
In 2022, the UN marked the International Year of Glass, celebrating the essential role glass has, and will continue to have, in society. One element of this celebration was the importance of glass within art and its history, which the Craft Scotland [...] Read more.
In 2022, the UN marked the International Year of Glass, celebrating the essential role glass has, and will continue to have, in society. One element of this celebration was the importance of glass within art and its history, which the Craft Scotland 2022 Conference: The Power of Glass looked to explore. The aim of the conference was to allow a range of individuals, be they academics, researchers, or students of glass and art history within Scotland and the UK, to access contemporary thought within an under-represented field in the UK craft sector. In this paper, we look to highlight the links between the aims of the International Year of Glass and the proceedings of The Power of Glass Conference, demonstrating how glass artists, makers, and designers are part of a growing international body of creatives who are using the communicative possibilities of glass as a vehicle in which to raise pertinent questions and platform unheard and overlooked narratives. Moreover, they seek to overturn perceived biases of what glass is and its future potential by placing their craft within an arena of judgement beyond discussions of process and technique and by elevating socio-political glass art on par with other forms of artistic protest and commentary. Full article
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12 pages, 1415 KiB  
Essay
Mapping the Anthropocene: Atelier NL, a Case Study of Place-Based Material Craft Practices
by Inge Panneels
Arts 2023, 12(4), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12040177 - 15 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1995
Abstract
This paper argues that mapping as a methodology can support localised production, as exemplified in the case study of the design studio Atelier NL which marries contemporary design sensibilities with traditional glass and ceramics craft-making techniques. The paper puts forward the argument that [...] Read more.
This paper argues that mapping as a methodology can support localised production, as exemplified in the case study of the design studio Atelier NL which marries contemporary design sensibilities with traditional glass and ceramics craft-making techniques. The paper puts forward the argument that by paying attention to local ecosystem services through mapping, place-based design solutions can be developed. Furthermore, the paper argues that the methodologies deployed by Atelier NL borrow from contemporary art creative mapping practices. This case study uses the framework of the Anthropocene to situate these mapping practices identified within the case study and contextualises these within 20th-century environmental arts practices, and those of the environmental art pioneers the Harrisons in particular. Finally, the paper argues that these mapping practices are responding to the conditions of the Anthropocene which increasingly makes clear that culture and nature are enmeshed, an insight that 19th-century town planner Patrick Geddes argued for more than a century ago. Full article
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