Today I thought I would explore some of the many ways in which fused glass or glass art can be used to enhance your home or work space. So I suppose the first question would be, why use glass? Admittedly I am a little biased here, but there are so many situations where glass can either be the perfect material to use, or at least as good as other options.
A commissioned piece of fused glass which I made to go into a knot hole in a table
Firstly the colours do not fade over time, as can often be the case with many painted or printed artworks. This means that you can safely put glass artwork, bowls, sculptures and so on in bright or partial sunlight worry free. Another large advantage of using glass is that it is not damaged by water or steam. Obviously most paintings and prints, as well as potentially any other absorbent materials (such as wood etc.), would not be able to be used for artwork in bathrooms, spas or swimming pools. Here glass is often the perfect choice as it will not be damaged in any way in these situations and can also be easily wiped clean to be free of any water marks.
One of the main reasons for choosing glass in many applications is the fact that it is transparent, where as so many other mediums do not have this quality. This clearly makes it the perfect choice for windows, but it means that any artwork made from glass will often seem to glow when in the light, reflections can be created of the colours onto the wall or surface where the artwork is displayed and can lead to many pieces often looking quite different at various times of the day and year, always keeping the art feeling fresh and unique. Glass can also be frosted to give partial privacy, or to let less light through; or it can be manufactured to be completely opaque, often in conjunction with transparent glass, to manipulate light to transmit in a certain way, or to cause particular patterns or reflections. This is often one of the main reasons for choosing glass in different applications, as its ability to interact with light makes it so beautiful and distinctive in many ways.
The limited edition Crab bowls use mixtures of opaque and transparent glass to create specific reflections
Another feature of glass is that it can be laminated and glazed to make it structurally safe. This allows it to be used in many areas where the public may be able to interact with it, as well as windows etc. safely and without worry. This also often makes the use of glass externally as well as internally, much more practical.
Finally glass is also, perhaps surprisingly, hard wearing and long lasting. Fused glass in particular is stronger than most people would expect and is fairly resistant to scratching and marking. There is no need to worry about water marks (or oily ones) with a glass table top or coaster either. If your glassware is looked after it will last for a lifetime and longer and so you can buy a piece of glass art with the knowledge that is has been made to last.
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