e-world (G82)
Catalogue Record
Collection
Maker
Ray Flavell
Title
e-world
Made in
Edinburgh
Date
1996
Description
Blown, cased glass bowl with sandblasting, cutting, polishing; "bubble" decoration.
Materials and techniques
This piece is made from 24% lead crystal and is a combination of hot and cold techniques.
In the first instance an elongated egg shaped form was made with a very thin exterior casing of pink, which was annealed. This was then covered wtih three layers of masking tape onto which was drawn the imagery and cut with a stencil knife. The exposed areas of glass were then sandblasted through the pink casing. After removing the masking tape the prepared parison was reheated and picked up on a blowing iron and fire polished to remove the sand blast texture then cased over with a bubble of clear glass fixing the imagery as air entrapments. A final gather was added to give depth and magnification to the 'drawing' and knocked off the iron and annealed.
A number of factors contributed to the difficulty of retaining enough detail not previously achieved with this 'bubble drawing', which was the subject of much trial and error. The method of sealing in the air was borrowed from a method used in Czechoslovakia for the outside casing of large pieces by turning a bubble inside out over the prepared parison. The other main consideration was temperature control, where if the glass at any time became overheated then the bubbles would round off, losing the shapes fixed at the sandblasting stage.
In keeping with my earlier work, I then used the weight of the glass to explore cutting and polishing. By contouring the top edge it became possible to see multiple reflections of the suspended elements, creating the illusion of great depth within the section also the use of an unpolished flute cut to enhance the idea of floating letter 'e' forms. The cutting was undertaken with Carborundum and stone wheels, and a linishing machine, sometimes hand shaping with copper pipe, and Carborundum grits. Polishing with cork and pumice then felt and cerium oxide.
In the first instance an elongated egg shaped form was made with a very thin exterior casing of pink, which was annealed. This was then covered wtih three layers of masking tape onto which was drawn the imagery and cut with a stencil knife. The exposed areas of glass were then sandblasted through the pink casing. After removing the masking tape the prepared parison was reheated and picked up on a blowing iron and fire polished to remove the sand blast texture then cased over with a bubble of clear glass fixing the imagery as air entrapments. A final gather was added to give depth and magnification to the 'drawing' and knocked off the iron and annealed.
A number of factors contributed to the difficulty of retaining enough detail not previously achieved with this 'bubble drawing', which was the subject of much trial and error. The method of sealing in the air was borrowed from a method used in Czechoslovakia for the outside casing of large pieces by turning a bubble inside out over the prepared parison. The other main consideration was temperature control, where if the glass at any time became overheated then the bubbles would round off, losing the shapes fixed at the sandblasting stage.
In keeping with my earlier work, I then used the weight of the glass to explore cutting and polishing. By contouring the top edge it became possible to see multiple reflections of the suspended elements, creating the illusion of great depth within the section also the use of an unpolished flute cut to enhance the idea of floating letter 'e' forms. The cutting was undertaken with Carborundum and stone wheels, and a linishing machine, sometimes hand shaping with copper pipe, and Carborundum grits. Polishing with cork and pumice then felt and cerium oxide.
Dimensions
height (object): 18cm
diameter (object): 18cm
Packed Length: 26cm
Packed Width: 26cm
Packed Depth: 26cm
Object number
G82
Category
Maker's statement
First shown at the ECA M.Des show 1996 and with the Scottish Gallery at Art 97, Islington, 1997. See extensive notes in purchase file.