ABOUT FUSED GLASS

Origins of fused glass

Natural glass was born with the planet, forged in the volcanic cauldron of earth’s formation. Humans came along some time later, and discovered something special about glass: its ineffable beauty.

Archaeologists have discovered glass dating back to 4,000 BC, in the form of powdered glazes melted onto stone beads. This was the first fused glass, and the basic techniques have remained the same for millennia.

What, exactly, is fused glass?

Most people are familiar with blown glass (bottles, vases, glasses and goblets, etc) and with the stained glass in their local church. Fused glass is neither. It is both a more ancient form of glass art (see above), and a relatively new one – having faded into the background until a lively revival in the mid 20th century.

Fused glass is simply the fine art of fusing different colours and shapes of glass together to create works of unique beauty. In the fusing process, the artist carefully selects glass of various shapes, colours and thicknesses, arranging them to create pleasing designs. The glass is then fired in a large kiln, to temperatures ranging from 593º C (1100ºF) to 816º C (1500ºF), depending on the techniques being used.

Sometimes – for instance to create bowls or sculptural pieces – the glass may go through two or more separate firings. For example, decorative details may be fused together in an initial firing, then the piece may be fired over a mould to give it a specific shape.

For more information about fused glass, have a look at Lucartha Kohler’s excellent book Glass, An Artist’s Medium.