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Brief History of Studio Glass – and the debate over Art vs. Craft
There has been much debate about whether studio glass should be classified as art or craft. What is the difference between art and craft anyways? This article goes over the history of studio glass briefly and explains why the classification is not that important compared to appreciating it as it is.
Studio glass is defined as unique work handmade by a single artist-maker, as distinguished from factory-made glassware.
France was the center since the 1880s, with famous artists like Emile Galle, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and their contemporaries. Other famous French names are Henry Cros, Albert Dammous, Maurice Marinot, and Francois Decorchemont. Georges Despret, a Belgian, also contributed to the process.
In the 1950s in America, artists began to establish networks, in which they concentrated on kiln-forming – fusing, slumping, enameling, and lampworking. In the 1960s, the small pot kiln developed which could be set up anywhere and was manageable by one artist. Another discovery that fueled the American movement was the availability of glass that melts at low temperatures. Harvey Littleton was an influential figure in this.
As interesting as the history of studio glass is, some people worry about its classification. Is it art or craft?
It is hard to decide on, because its very definition is very blurry; is a glassware studio glass just because it was handmade or made by one single artist? Unlike our assumptions today, early factory-made glassware was not always made by machines. Meanwhile, individual artists may use molds or other various tools and “machines” that technically disqualify their work from being defined as studio glass. But that seems to be too narrow a definition and seems to make little sense.
Moreover, it is not clear why the term “craft” should have a negative connotation, especially because it originally meant “magic, strength, power, science” in the 15th century. Craftsmen have been and are an integral part of the society and the art scene. They make useful things that we cannot live without. Similarly, art can be useful, too. Many monumental works serve a function, and modern art and design works are often as aesthetically appealing as they are useful. But somehow many people seem to believe that the biggest characteristic of art is that it is useless. Art vs. craft and its hierarchy has been debated for a long time, but the distinction seems to be superfluous and blurred at most.
While studio glass is by some people still seen as “mere craft” (because glass is so firmly identified with utility), others have changed its concept since the 1980s. They jumped from studio glass to a new term, “glass art.” This seems to be the general trend now, but regardless of its classification or definition, glassmaking techniques take years to perfect and deserves respect as it is.
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Glass Art – fused, kiln formed, Randy Comer
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