British New Wave Glass

The UK’s Crafts Council presents new work by 17 pioneering British glass makers as a way to illustrate contemporary ideas developed from traditional glass blowing processes. The traveling exhibition is presented as the "British new wave". While the exhibition claims to feature a new wave, some artists remain more rooted in the Studio Glass movement than some of their more experimental American counterparts.

El Ultimo Grito’s ‘Apartments’ is an imaginary architectural form created from repurposed scientific glass products. On first viewing, the pieces seem to be lifted from the laboratory but on closer inspection their function has been re-appropriated; they are models of futuristic glass apartments.

Joanna Manousis’ ‘Reaching an Ulterior Realm’ that presents us with what looks like helium mounted targets fired at by arrows (with varying degrees of success). The targets are not as fluid and the arrows not as light as we imagine however, as it becomes apparent they are made of solidified blown glass

Alongside the glass work is a newly commissioned film "Sing in Sand and Roar in Furnace Fire" to show how glassblowing is a controlled, balletic, and choreographed practice. The duet explains through interpretive dance the elements of trust, cooperation and synchronicity and how that is necessary for the production of glass art.

Urban Glass’s Glass Quarterly blog features more info on the show – click HERE.

For the “Breath-Taking” gallery guide pdf – click HERE.