Miranda Dyson, Children’s Education Associate
Glass artists who are drawn to geometric designs, precision, or an emphasis on creating visual layers are found among makers who use the technique, lamination. Set apart from hot-worked techniques in glass making, such as blown glass, lamination occurs through a series of cutting, stacking, gluing, and grinding. This cold-work method is unique to glass in that it can be accomplished without molten glass and several steps can be done with bare hands.
A laminated glass piece could be recognized by distinctive even layers and straight lines. If you notice patterns that appear fragmented or suspended, you might be looking at something made with lamination.
This term is not unique to glass and can be seen in things like pastry baking—layering dough and cold butter for the perfect croissant—or laminating a piece of paper with a protective plastic covering. The definition that applies to glass work is: To manufacture something by bonding layers of material together.
Glass lamination artists apply this technique in different ways to achieve stylistically different outcomes, yet all take a few of the same steps.
How it’s done
- The artist selects glass to bond together. The glass’ thickness, opacity vs. transparency, and color are a few of the determining factors in what an artist chooses.
- Once the pieces are clean and aligned, they are bonded together with a strong adhesive.
- Glass sections go through several rounds of cutting, grinding, and polishing. This step can take hours or days, depending on the scale of the work and the progression of grit an artist prefers to use.
- All steps could be repeated several times, depending on the complexity of the design.
Makers might focus energy on creating visual interest through cutting and re-attaching cross-sections, the introduction of additional materials, or drawing attention to the creative process.
I consider Wilfried Grootens’ work, W.T.S.B.B. H31, one of our most satisfying pieces to engage with in the round. There’s no attempt to hide the process of creation from the viewer. With the edges of individual panes of glass exposed, lamination is generally deciphered once the work has been viewed from the sides. Even with the “curtain drawn back”, his work is still enthralling to see. When leading school tours, I invite students to slowly circle the pedestal while looking at Grootens’ art. At first look, it’s a round, colorful, organic form, suspended in the center of glass. Then, moving towards the side, the image shifts, reflecting itself in some angles, and all at once disappears. This is accomplished by Grootens making 2D painted images on each piece of glass before adhering them together. Once the clear glass pieces are layered together, a cohesive picture appears from the front and back of the artwork that is nearly invisible from the sides. His works take inspiration from the illustrations of Ernst Haekel, and his depictions of the natural world. To see this creative process in action, watch the video below.
Wilfried Grootens, German, b. 1954. W.T.S.B.B. H31. Painted, laminated, polished glass, 2017. Purchased with funds provided by the June E. Enoch Collection Fund. Image courtesy of FWMoA.
Jon Kuhn’s creations display how this technique requires mathematical precision. His table titled, Shiraz Returned, is made of clear glass with clear and colorful geometric glass inlays. His process of attaching glass, cutting, and rearranging cross sections is repeated dozens of times. Depending on how many cuts he makes in his work, his sculptures can reflect like glitter. The dedication of his team, attention to detail, and patience match with his creativity to bring these stunning works to life. His video below shows a range of his pieces and the timeline of his work.
Laminated glass is also represented FWMoA’s Habitat International Glass 53rd Invitational exhibit. Organized by Habitat Galleries, this competition presents glass from some of the leading modern glass artists in the world. Toland Sand’s work on display in this exhibit is inspired by the Greek Muse of Dance titled, Terpsichore Tessera. This is one of five pieces in his Terpsichore series. This sculpture stands out as defying gravity, with the bottom resting on a glass sphere and the top balancing chunks of glass on a steep angle. The nod to movement and dance is clear, with the viewers’ eye traveling around this composition and following its visual rhythm. It doesn’t make me feel apprehensive, though the sections of glass appear to be teetering. Some of Sand’s labor intensive process is shown in the video below.
This technique has allowed artists to create surprise within a work, lean into precision, and capture viewers’ attention with flowing composition. The slow, methodical nature of lamination produces truly stunning results! To see this and other fascinating studio glass techniques, visit the FWMoA Glass Wing at your next visit!
The Habitat International 53rd Invitational exhibit will be on view at FWMoA until August 24th.
This ‘Art Term Tuesday’ explanation of lamination is so helpful; it clearly outlines a technique that is crucial in both traditional and contemporary art