Nigel Calvert
Nigel Calvert
It began with The Phoenicians blowing glass objects 3000 years ago, fusing sand and soda. They gathered the molten glass on hollow poles, to blow and shape it. Glassmaking processes including the colours in the glass have always been guarded secrets. Blown glass objects were household items in the Roman era. Over the years, the technique has remained unchanged. The hand blown craft was about purity of form, fineness and colour. That aspiration has since been overtaken by cheap, machine-made, perfect glass objects.
I watched a famous glass blower’s demonstration go terribly wrong. He rescued the piece with skill and effort and I was awestruck by the plastic fluidity, colour and form. I felt desperate to explore the medium, for me its like whispering into the ancient craft, allowing the glass and the colour to run free.
I watched a famous glass blower’s demonstration go terribly wrong. He rescued the piece with skill and effort and I was awestruck by the plastic fluidity, colour and form. I felt desperate to explore the medium, for me its like whispering into the ancient craft, allowing the glass and the colour to run free.
