NYBRO GLASBRUK // Hand-Painted Favourites 31 SKRUFS GLASBRUK // Swedish Glass – Crystal Clear
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Yes, indeed, the Kingdom Contents of Crystal is still here! That’s the answer to the question that has been put to us rather often Ludvig Löfgren since the autumn of 2012, when Orrefors Kosta Boda decided to stop The rebel who creates audacious producing glass in the Orrefors and Åfors localities. The media frequently art glass for Målerås Glassworks. have given the impression that Småland’s last blowing room had closed. Nothing could be further from the truth! The Kingdom of Crystal is absolutely alive and well. There are multitudes of glassworks where The glass production is in full swing, new blowing rooms are opening and young glassblowers and artists are breaking new ground. Find glassworks all around the Kingdom of Crystal. In several of them you yourself The Kingdom of Crystal offers unique experiences: visits to everything can become glassblower for a day. from classic glassworks to smaller studio glassworks, hand-on activities, guided tours of glassworks, hyttsill (hot-shop herring), shopping at outlet prices and lots of activities in Småland’s natural surroundings. Culture & Design And Kosta Boda Art Hotel extends unique lodging opportunities. Attractions such as circus shows and The Orrefors brand lives on. As does its line of products. You can still the only handmade paper mill in the buy well-known Orrefors glassware such as the Intermezzo, Divine and Nordic region. Nobel series. The difference is that the handblown glass now is made at Kosta instead. At Orrefors the Royal Design interior furnishings company has moved into the old glassworks, and a design outlet is planned for the Nature & Family summer. In the neighbouring town you will find Målerås Glassworks, Fish, paddle, cycle, ride a zip line and Sweden’s largest privately owned glassworks, and all around the Kingdom meet an elk – the Kingdom of Crystal’s of Crystal there are hot glass furnaces in operation at dozens of places. forests are full of adventure. We bid you a warm welcome to experience the vibrant, glowing Kingdom of Crystal! Hyttsill A festive hot-shop herring meal in the spirit of the vagabonds: warm, congenial and delicious. Stine Breum Appelqvist The good life acting managing director Stay in a glass artwork, enjoy good food and shopping in everything from large outlets to small country shops. A day trip away Instagram Facebook Within easy distance of the Kingdom instagram.com/glasriket facebook.com/glasriket of Crystal, many exciting experiences await you. Your guide to the glassworks 18 TRANSJÖ HYTTA // Imaginative art glass 25 SEA GLASBRUK // Function and form 19 ORREFORS BRUKSOMRÅDE // Crystal-clear elegance 26 BERGDALA GLASBRUK // Tradition and the future 20 KOSTA GLASBRUK // World-renowned imagination 27 JFS JOHANSFORS // A passion for glass and rum 22 MICKEJOHANS KONSTGLAS // The master takes glass into his own hands 28 MÅLERÅS GLASBRUK // Hundred percent craftsmanship 23 PUKEBERGS GLASBRUK // Focusing on colour 30 BODA // Living museum and artistic blowing room 24 NYBRO GLASBRUK // Hand-painted favourites 31 SKRUFS GLASBRUK // Swedish Glass – Crystal Clear Glasriket is published by: AB Glasriket. Production: Publicum, Box 865, 301 18 Halmstad, Phone +46 (0)35 19 75 70, Fax +46 (0)35 19 75 89. Photo: Jesper Molin, Sara Södergård, Bengt Alm, Hans Runesson, DUO Fotografi, Klas Hjertberg, Christa Buitink, Norregård, Magnus Bremefors, Digitalfilm/VisitKarlskrona, Pelle Wahlgren, Mats Samuelsson, Ölands turistbyrå, Per-Åke Andersson, Peter Lilja, Örjan Karlsson, Transjö hytta, Orrefors bruksområde, Kosta glasbruk, Mickejohans konstglas, Pukebergs glasbruk, Nybro glasbruk, SEA glasbruk, MIM bild, Bergdala glasbruk, JFS Johansfors, Målerås glasbruk, Boda, The Glass Factory, Skrufs glasbruk, Jonas Lindström, Bruno Baziq. Cover picture: Jesper Molin, Industriromantik. Translation: Gothia Translations AB. Adverts: Publicum, Halmstad. Repro/Print: Ruter, Laholm. Edition: 170 000 ex. Printed on recycled paper. LUDVIG LÖFGREN Rebel in an idyll He creates audacious art glass that will usher the Kingdom of Crystal into the future. He is a rebel with roots in Småland craftsmanship. Meet Målerås’ new designer, Ludvig Löfgren. We pass through the warm you are out there in the blowing room, here in Småland. Our strength is the Skulls in top hats, cobras, apes and is to butt up against what is commercial. blowing room and foundry, you have to have a plan for the various vicinity. The idea is born, the object takes a tattoo machine of glass. Ludvig goes It doesn’t work to simply make things. past the plaster workshop stages. Glass is a quick material. You have shape and then it is made – everything straight to the point in his art. Somebody must like them and want to with its cloud of dust. to stay with it and be open to what happens here in Målerås. The creator ”I want to achieve directness in my buy them, too. I like that challenge.” We continue past a room with photo happens during the process. is always close to production. That is works. Many customers speak up and let us Ludvig’s first collection for Målerås equipment for product pictures, climb ”Even if I am going to blow two similar a success factor for us.” know where they have placed their things. is being launched in 2014. a staircase and then reach the studio objects, I can’t do it in exactly the same Ludvig maintains that this is also Some have even named them – they ”There will be a lot of blown glass; where Ludvig Löfgren hangs out. Some way. A competent glassblower knows the more sustainable from a socio-economic become characters in the home. It is cool to that’s my thing, of course. But I will also sketches on the table, a pair of vases with art of compensating for the variability of perspective. have contact like that, that people create do some casting because that’s a specialty the new collection’s bird motif on a shelf. the molten glass. It calls for experience, ”Certainly our glass is somewhat their own relationship to the article.” of Målerås. We’re the only glassworks that The lanky man with a long ponytail and therefore it takes a long time to costly. Young people in particular might Sometimes he gets ideas and influences casts its own iron moulds. That gives me under his cap is one of the brightest become good at it.” think that it’s expensive. But I believe that from fashion, rebuilt cars and tattoos. an opportunity to be spontaneous and shining stars in Swedish glass art. After There have been gloomy headlines if you have to save up a little in order to ”Other types of handicraft inspire me. to try out ideas.” a stay at art school to paint, glass became about crises and closures of glassworks in buy something, then you won’t become I don’t look at glass products very much. his medium of expression. recent years. But Ludvig is convinced that tired of it. It becomes more valuable in On the other hand, I think different glass ”It’s a special material: at first fluid there is a future for glass production in your eyes.” techniques are stimulating. Inspiration and hot, then congealing and become Småland. Traditionally glass is something that is an on-going process. It’s hard to say LUDVIG LÖFGREN transparent and hard as a rock. Glass is ”In society at large the prevailing trend older people buy. exactly how an idea crops up.” Born: 1972 always putting up resistance; it lives.” is for people to seek out what is genuine, ”What art glass needs to do now is to Music plays a big role in Ludvig’s Home: Månsamåla Ludvig Löfgren grew up in the apart from mass production. We see it with get a younger audience to discover glass. creativity. glass artist Åsa Jungnelius and two sons glassworks area of Skruv and trained as respect to furniture and food. That is behind It should be something that you choose ”I listen to a lot of sludge stone rock, Family: a glassblower at an early age. Most artists an upswing for craftsmanship in general.” yourself, not just what you get from your a musical genre with roots in hard rock of Education: A number of different painting schools, Orrefors and Kosta glass schools, who work with glass do not blow glass There is a place in this trend for glass parents as something that ’you should the 1970s with bands like Black Sabbath.” Pilchuck Glass School, U.S., University College themselves. craftsmanship. have when you grow up’. We need to find Being a designer at a glassworks does of Arts, Crafts and Design. Formerly designer at Kosta Boda, since 2013 associated with ”For me, it is an advantage. I can relax ”As far as I’m concerned, the decisive new sales outlets and other contexts than not mean total artistic freedom, however. Mats Jonasson Målerås because I know how glass behaves. When factor is that glass is made on the premises those where you usually see glass.” ”One aspect that I think is interesting Boda for Kosta in glass machine Tattoo 4 The Kingdom of Crystal 2014 The Kingdom of Crystal 2014 5 THE GLASS Around the Kingdom of Crystal Twelve glassworks await you all around the Kingdom of Crystal. Blowing room All with their own individuality and distinctive characteristics. You will find guided tours everything here from small one-man blowing rooms to large enterprises. Visitors always are welcome to look You’re welcome to discover the kingdom of glass craftsmanship! into the blowing room and see our glass- blowers at work. If you want to learn more, we recommend a guided tour. Then you get to know more about how glass production is carried out Try your hand and about the cutting and painting of glass.