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Rochester Institute of Technology RIT Scholar Works Theses 1984 Glass: A Study of interior spaces Concetta Mason Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses Recommended Citation Mason, Concetta, "Glass: A Study of interior spaces" (1984). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The College of Fine and Applied Arts in Candidacy for the Degree of MASTER OF FINE ARTS Glass: A Study of Interior Spaces By Concetta Mason December 1, 1984 APPROVALS Advisor : Name Illegible ------------------------------------ Date : \\-11-\'-' Associate Advisor : Graham Marks Date n/tt!£ 'I Associate Advisor : Zerbe Sodervick Date : 'f2.?J/eS• Graduate Academic Council Fred Meyer Representative : ------------------------------- Date : /~ -----+IAI+:~.L..,;'(:, -+'*'~~Z?"'<'--- Dean , College of Fine Peter G. Anderson & Applied Arts: ______,---+-, __-:;-- __________________ Date: ',(11 (0;') I , Concetta Mason , prefer to be contacted each time a req-u-e-s -:-t -:':fo-r--p-r-od"Tu-c"7t-:-io-n-l-;-' s-m--ad"Te-.-----,I;""- can be reached at th e following address : Concetta Mason Date : December 1 , 1984 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Thesis Proposal iv Preface v Concerns & Influences 1 Work Development 5 Technical Processes Utilized 18 Conclusion 19 Plates 20 Notes 22 Selected Bibliography 24 in THESIS PROPOSAL I intend to spend my final academic year further exploring and expressing myself through glasswork and other related media. Aesthetic concepts, particularly those involving the utilization of internal space and the breaking up of preformed structures, are of prime importance to me. I intend to combine different processes and materials in my work. I will present a body of work that will represent these aesthetic concerns and others as my final thesis . iv PREFACE Every artist searches for the medium that best suits their artistic temperament and the medium that most effectively expresses that message. This occurs through exploring and experimenting with a number of materials and then choosing to work with a limited number of the chosen materials in depth to finally understand their potential and limitations . As an artist matures, self-expression evolves due to experience and through the knowledge stored that is drawn upon for this self- expression. Technique and process are extensions of the mind and the hands which are drawn from the stored knowledge gained through experience. Without this knowledge, the artist is severely limited in potential. Techniques derived are put into effective use to express an aesthetic concept which is of prime importance. Contemporary art emphasizes individual self-expression. An artist seeks this through a natural balance between temperament and experi ence enabling the development of personal style and interpretation. The fascination and intrigue with glass is a challenge which I find especially rewarding. "Glass is often described as a supercooled liquid solution of inorganic materials with an amorphous structure. It is brittle, smooth and hard, but also viscous, flowing, endlessly ductile and responsive. It is brilliant or dull, opaque or transparent, intensely colored or colorless. The words used to describe glass are so contradictory that anyone must wonder that any sense can be made of them. Yet, it is these very contradictions that mean so much to the artist. Because glass really has no shape, form, or definite substance, the v artist is free to impose upon it his own sense of structure or 1 form statement . In my first year of graduate study, I began to analyze concepts which represented my attitudes, and by process of elimination, I began to concentrate and focus on one major direction. I studied the work carefully; there was a consistent quality in each piece. The major concern was toward the fragmentation and/or breaking up of the traditional vessel; this quality is far from subtle. During the first quarter, I started experimenting with blown vessels. One after another I began to intentionally break the glass . The transformation of parts began to be of interest. I did not enjoy the loss of volume created, so I began to reassemble the parts. The creation of an internal dimension within glass thickness is also an important factor resulting in the use of fragments . vi CONCERNS & INFLUENCES Throughout the ages, most media, (wood, stone, clay, metal) have been quite acceptable as materials for artistic expression. This is not the case with glass which has only recently, in terms of the history of art, been accepted as a viable art medium. Therefore while working with the tradition of glass, my focus was within major concerns : material three (vessel tradition) , process (breaking), image reconstruction . These three concerns propelled the work away from the traditional approach of working with glass, toward a new way of viewing the art activity within the glass field. A. Material: vessel tradition Glass, a sensuous material, both hot (molten) and cold, is notori ous for its ability to seduce both the artist and the viewer. In many cases, it is difficult to see beyond the intrinsic properties of glass and all the dictates of its past associations. For the theses work I experiment with sculptural forms but the is finished product did not speak of history and tradition which I feel important (plates No. 1 and 2). Process: B . breaking statement of The process of breaking glass vessels is a primary stems from the idea the thesis work. A major rationale for breaking complete to me. After the that a hand blown vessel is not a entity, A ? >>. Crab 2) Horseshoe same vessel is broken, the glass fragments become material to be used like a painter's canvas. Temporarily those fragments are meaningless and without tradition, and can be dealt with as material more freely. The glass fragments utilize another portion of the overall intent; to look beyond the intrinsic properties . These fragments escape that inherent mystique, and allow freedom for new possibilities. C. Image : Reconstruction Physically breaking glass allows me to approach glass reconstruc tion in a new way. The dimension or space created within the glass wall is an internal structure which can be compared to a piece of fruit. When a piece of fruit is sliced, exposure of the interior structure is revealed. The slicing is the breaking of the glass wall and allows the interior to show its qualities. This process may also be compared to the cross-section of a house, similar to the idea of a doll house. The space created by the break wall could represent the partitions that separate the rooms. There were three influences ever present in the work: nature, Islamic architecture, and a glass designer, Rene Lalique. This chapter will briefly reflect upon these historical references as they impacted my work. Pertinent influences come from analyzing nature, particularly dwellings, with special attention paid to the relationship between interior and exterior. An example of how the interior on a particular seashell to a structure begins is made evident when comparing a passage the beehive. With the seashell, one can see a gradual from curled and exterior to the interior of the shell. The edges are folded, drawing the viewer's eye to the nucleus. The beehive, on the other hand, has a strong distinction between structural elements which are abrupt, and invites no movement to the center. Both of these complex structures deal with the expressive qualities of a vessel container form. Another strong historical influence is Islamic architecture (plate #3). Islamic architecture's contribution to my glass statement has primarily been through its rich variety of decorative themes and tech niques . Decoration is derived from many concepts exemplifying dual mean ings. Oleg Grabar describes Islamic art in the following manner: "Animal or human figures are decorative and magical; archi tectural themes are supports for decoration and decorative in themselves; geometric elements have the same double function; writing is ornament and also meaningful; vegetation is both lively."2 artificial and Surface treatment develops multilevels of relief and depth thus creating dual patterns of positive and negative space as well. A 9th century relief-cut glass bowl is one of my favorite pieces of historical glasswork (plate #4) because it shows a strong relationship between the decorative treatment on the surface and the form. The the entire bowl was carved down to an extraordinarily thin wall leaving its design in high relief, making this work exceptionally strong due to decorative theme and detailed precision. In summary, the Islamic style relation to the shows the importance of the overall decorative effect in individual motif. Glass designer Rene Lalique (1860-1945) made the transition to one of the most 20th century art in Western Europe by becoming interested influential and noted glass artists of the century. I became ^Ilil & - \.0mm j-A'i. j y <..~'^ * !-* -^T^V ^- sfee 3) Islamic Architecture u in Lalique because he promoted an art aesthetic for glass which extended the use of the material. While Lalique produced a wide range of glass over half a century, he maintained a unique sculptural quality throughout all his work. In the decade from 1920-30, Lalique designed over 200 vases for aesthetic appreciation only, with most of this group consisting of thick glass with surface relief to further enhance the optical qualities (plate #5) . 5) Lalique WORK DEVELOPMENT After studying contemporary artists and experimenting, I con cluded that surface decoration was far from the full potential of the material. Working with traditional forms became frustrating because they were empty and impersonal for me.

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