The uses are endless and depend on how I feel at the moment I grab it.
What's really amazing about glassblowing is how the movements in your body determine the final outcome of the form.
This project was produced in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Senior Studio in
Graphic Design, School of Design, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Spring 2014.
Instructor: Christine Hiebert, Adjunct Professor, Graphic Design, UArts
Principal Writing Faculty and Guest Critic: Susan Viguers, Professor, UArts
Professional Consultant and Guest Critic: Justin Peters, Global Executive Creative Director, Siegal+Gale, New York, NY
Research librarian: Josh Roberts, Greenfield Library, UArts
Special Advisor(s):
John Shoemaker, Artist, Glass-maker
Helen Lee, Artist, Artist, Glass-maker
Alex Rosenberg, Artist, Glass-maker
Christine Hiebert, Adjunct Professor, Graphic Design, UArts
Daniel Giudula, Adjunct Professor, Electronic Media, UArts
Concept, Design and Site Development by Buddy Harris
Video, Photos and Glyphs by Buddy Harris
Text adapted from:
Burke, Ed. Glassblowing A TECHNICAL MANUAL. Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire: The Crowood Press Ltd., 2005: 7, 21-31, 55-61, 71-78.
(Section:[fill in section])
Littleton, Harvey K. Glassblowing A Search for Form. NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1971: 58, 60-83.
(Section: Entry, Transition one)
Rielly, Brian. Interview by Harris, Buddy. Hot Glass Shop, UArts, 16 Feb. 2014.
(Section: Conceptual glyph development)
Rosenberg, Alex. Interview by Harris, Buddy. Hot Glass Shop, UArts, 18 Feb. 2014.
(Section: Conceptual glyph development)
Shoemaker, John. Interview by Harris, Buddy. Hot Glass Shop, UArts, 11 Feb. 2014.
(Section: Interview, conceptual glyph development)
Gathering is the name that glass-makers give to the process of collecting molten glass from the furnace on the end of a blowing pipe or punty. To start almost any process within the studio the Gaffer stands straight with his shoulders square and the pipe level.
To prepare the pipe, the Gaffer rests the wide end of the pipe in the warmer for a few minutes. The pipe is warm enough to use when the tip is glowing a deep cherry red colour. In order to gather some glass, he begins by resting the iron horizontally in the mouth of the furnace with about 20cm(8in) of the pipe overhanging the inside wall.
The Gaffer moves the pipe over to the right-hand side of the gathering hole and gently raises the back of the pipe with his right hand while looking at the tip of the blowpipe inside the furnace. He keeps raising the back of the pipe until he can see a reflection of the tip in the molten glass; this reflection allows him to judge where the surface of the glass is. He pushes the pipe about 5cm(2in) into the glass while turning clockwise. Molten glass begins to collect on the tip of the pipe.
Lowering the back of the pipe slightly so that the tip rises, the Gaffer uses the gathering hole as a fulcrum. He keeps turning all the time; as the pipe begins to leave the surface of the glass a glass ‘tail’ begins falling from the iron into the furnace. As the Gaffer increases the turning speed, most of the tail will twist back on to the pipe. This process will also make the tail become thinner and thinner and eventually snap.
The Gaffer reduces the turning speed so that it is just enough to stop the glass from falling off the iron again. When he holds the iron horizontally the gather will begin to smooth off into a neat, round ball. He moves his left hand up the pipe to about the halfway point, but before the iron gets hot, and keeps turning all the time.
The Gaffer moves his left hand up the pipe to about the halfway point, but before he feels the iron get hot, and keeps turning all the time. He raises the pipe up horizontally and removes it from the furnace.
The Gaffer completes the gathering form by returning to the Control Stance, standing straight, shoulders square, and the pipe level. When he is standing or walking with hot glass on a blowing pipe or a punty, he always holds the pipe with the hot glass ahead of his left hand; his left hand will be somewhere near the center of the pipe and his right hand should hold the pipe at the mouthpiece end.
Marvering is the name that glass-makers give to the process of rolling and shaping molten glass on a hard, flat surface of stone, wood, or metal called a Marver. To start almost any process within the studio the Gaffer stands straight with his shoulders square and the pipe level.
The Gaffer moves from the control stance holding the pipe in a downward angle. This allows the gathered glass to fall forward just as the glass-maker continues to the next movement.
The glass-maker approaches the marver with the back end of the pipe lower than the height of the marver’s top surface.
The Gaffer turns the pipe in his fingers and keeps it turning as he makes contact with the marver. As he establishes the rolling motion on the marver, the Gaffer uses the palms and fingers of his hands to roll the pipe – left palm facing down, right palm facing up. Bringing the angle of the pipe up so that it is horizontal and parallel with the floor. Keep rolling all the time.
The Gaffer lifts the glass off as he rolls towards the end of the marver. The pipe is held in a same fashion as in Movement 2 before he approaches for another pass on the marver.
The Gaffer turns the pipe in his fingers and keeps it turning as he makes contact with the marver. The main difference in the movement from its predecessor is the pipe is not kept parallel with the floor during the rolling process. The Gaffer continues through the motion fluidly, lifting off as he reaches the end of the marver or has attained the wanted shape.
The Gaffer completes the Marvering form by returning to the Control Stance, standing straight, shoulders square, and with the pipe level.
Flashing is the name that glass-makers give to the process of reheating glass once it has begun to cool, in order to manipulate it. This process is started in the same fashion as the other forms, in the Control Stance, usually as a continuation from one movement to another.
The Gaffer makes a swift controlled move from his standing or sitting position towards the gloryhole. A turn of the body and the pipe from its perpendicular orientation to one parallel is made before the glass goes into the gloryhole.
The Gaffer leans forward to guide the glass and pipe into the opening of the gloryhole. The pipe is kept level as the Gaffer swiftly plunges the glass into the center of the heat.
This is probably the most controlled movement in the flashing form. The Gaffer, while turning constantly, has to keep the glass centered on the pipe while the glass heats up and becomes workable. If the Gaffer spins the pipe too fast or too slow the glass will either spin out or collapse on itself.
The Gaffer carefully and swiftly pulls the pipe back toward him leaning forward to maintain support of the pipe, making sure the glass is removed cleanly from the gloryhole.
The Gaffer, in a controlled manner, moves back from the standing position in front of the gloryhole in preparation to work the glass at the bench.
The Flashing process is finished much in the same manner it began in the Control Stance, continuing from one movement to another.
Bench work is primarily comprised of the Gaffer sitting at a bench, with parallel rails, that the pipe is rolled on in order to keep the glass on center. A smooth, fluid movement when rolling with the left hand provides a constant basis for the right hand to work on the glass. The Gaffer approaches the bench from the Control Stance as seen in previous forms.
In a gate-like manner the Gaffer rests the pipe on the edge of the bench or just above it and swings the end of the pipe opposite the glass towards him. The Gaffer moves his body around the pipe while pivoting the pipe in a manner that resembles opening a gate. This allows him to step into the bench while still keeping an eye on the glass.
Just prior to sitting down the Gaffer uses the momentum from the previous gate-like movement to position the glass just over the edge of the rail. In one continuous movement the Gaffer levels the pipe back out on the rails and sits with his hip butted up against the far right side of the bench. This puts him in prime position to be overtop of the glass as well as have easy access to his tools.
Now seated at the bench, the Gaffer leans over the rail in order to place his sight directly in line with the rolling glass. In that same motion the Gaffer grabs the tool that best fits the needs of that particular moment in the process.
Maintaining the direct line of sight over the glass and tool in hand, the Gaffer proceeds to manipulate the glass with his selected tool. An important thing to keep in mind is that the Gaffer is still constantly turning the pipe on the bench. A smooth, fluid movement when he is rolling with the left hand provides a constant basis for the right hand to work on the glass. Some Gaffers will roll the pipe from their finger tip right up their arm to the elbow, while others will walk the blowpipe with their finger tips.
Once the Gaffer has finished making the manipulations needed or the glass has become too cool to work, the Gaffer begins to straighten out his posture and maneuver the pipe in such a way that begins the gate-like movement to exit the bench.
After exiting the bench the Gaffer moves into the familiar Control Stance, holding the pipe level with his shoulders square.
Paired Work is the only form that has the ability to not start with the Gaffer in the Control Stance. When working with a assistant the person whom takes the Control Stance may be the assistant and not the Gaffer. In most cases though the Gaffer starts in this position prior to continuing to paired forms.
This is a borrowed Bench Form movement in order to complete the Paired Work. Just prior to sitting down the Gaffer uses the momentum from the previous gate-like movement to position the glass just over the edge of the rail. In one continuous movement the Gaffer levels the pipe back out on the rails and sits with his hip butted up against the far right side of the bench. This puts him in prime position to be overtop of the glass as well as have easy access to his tools.
This is a borrowed Bench Form movement in order to complete the Paired Work. Now seated at the bench, the Gaffer leans over the rail in order to place his sight directly in line with the rolling glass. In that same motion the Gaffer grabs the tool that best fits the needs of that particular moment in the process.
The Gaffer works the glass while he leans over it to get the best perspective. A new character, the assistant, is introduced. He rests on the side opposite the glass prepared to blow into the pipe on command.
While working with the glass, in order to expand the glass form, the Gaffer commands his waiting assistant to blow into the pipe. In this position the assistant may also cap the blow pipe in order to stop the glass form from collapsing.
Late in the process of making a glass form, the assistant will sometimes take on a role that the Gaffer original held. The assistant will take the Control Stance seen earlier, while the seated Gaffer prepares the glass to be transfered to another pipe.
Once the Gaffer has the glass ready for transfer the Assistant will line up parallel to the Gaffer's pipe. When the glass is at just the right temperature for transfer the Gaffer will grab on to the Assistant's pipe with their shears and guide it towards the glass form. Making sure to keep the glass centered, the Gaffer touches the Assistants glass tipped pipe to the glass form joining them. The assistants job the entire time is to hold the pipe steady and to follow the direction and movement of the Gaffer and their pipe.