Glass Art
Books made of glass break. They inherently require a risk of failure. Yet embracing failure from the outset makes sense when attempting to materialize the unseen, forgotten, and deeply emotional life changing experiences of others. Through the Glass Book Project at Rutgers University, I had the privalige to be a part of the Provisions project.
“Onions” is composed of fused glass and copper wire and and different techniques such as sandblasting, baking, text and image transfer and traditional painting. It is about the life of Katheryn Bethea, a migrant to Newark who had to continually re-invent herself to keep up with changing times. I described her story through the metaphor of an onion. In her interview she spoke of her family’s use of onions for remedies and folklore: “I used to have an aunt that would put onions and sprinkle them with sugar on the back of the stove and that was supposed to keep my uncle from running around with other women.” During World War II Bethea mastered the double nose needle craft and wanted to make it a career. She applied for a supervisor position in a hospital uniforms factory, at a time there when there were no black women in those positions. But she got the job and kept it until the factory closed about 15 years after the war. Her dedication and work ethic then led her to open her own dress shop. All of her continues fight to keep up with the times is just another peel of Bathea's onion of life.
More can be seen at:
http://thenewarktimes.com/glassbook-projects-provisions/
http://glassbookproject.com/about/
http://hipnewjersey.com/tag/black-history-month/
Onions, 2015, glass, copper wire, 6”x17”x 22”
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Glass Painting
Glass Art has been around for many centuries; glass art is even older then the egyptian civiliazization. But new ways of making glass art is always evolving. There are now new paints that when fired at high tempuratures fuses with already made glass pieces.
Glass paint is not new to artists, however it is the mthodes on the style of painting that is forever changing. I have taken five ordinary glass jars that had white candles inside and decided to paint stained glass looking paintings on the outside containers.
(1)The Japanese Asagi (浅黄?) koi is light blue above and usually red below, but also occasionally pale yellow or cream, generally below the lateral line and on the cheeks. The Japanese name means pale greenish-blue, spring onion color, or indigo. These fish bring peace and calm to gardens and ponds.
(2)The fancy Chinese veiltail is known for its extra-long, flowing double tail. Modern veiltail standards require little or no indentation of the trailing edges of the caudal fins, as in a wedding veil for a bride.
(3)New Jersey is known for its boardwalks and shores. Sailing comes natural and when one thinks of the shore, lighthouses are follow.
(4)Art-Deco style stained glass is usually assosiated with New York, and Tiffany Lamps.
(5)Blue orchids are somewhat rare flowers even some of its species are in danger of extinction. The reason is that their natural environment is being destroyed. With this stained glass container, no flower is in danger and the beauty of the flower is captivated with the painting.