The Art of Weaving Glass

By Robert Santacroce

The Art of Weaving Glass brings together the technical skills of fusing and the creative manipulating of weaving glass elements in a final artistic work. I am a self-taught glass artist working in the realm of fused glass art. My earlier work was an attempt to form gestures into glass sculptures that would open the imagination of the viewer to explore shapes and textures as qualities in nature in a spontaneous interaction between form and function. I started to layer multiple strips of glass in order to capture air bubbles within the movement of the glass as a way to enhance the gesture of form.

These first pieces led me to experiment with weaving glass as a tapestry. I began to see, after numerous kiln tests of varying temperatures, that I could create fabric out of glass. Once I achieved the desired direction, I began to focus on creating my own color pallet, as the range of colored art glass available is extremely limiting. I then began to develop my own sculptural forms fired out of porcelain clay, into shapes that would be interesting final gestures of my work.
When the assembled pieces of glass elements are slumped into these forms, the culmination of these several processes of manipulating the glass form a unique and varied work that is texturally pleasing.

I began to concentrate on producing gallery-quality works that show the transformation of the glass raw material and forcing it into a form beyond what it is supposed to do; a seemingly impossible shaping of the glass itself. I create a colorful texture in glass that is rarely experienced in this way. One must touch these pieces in order to sense their true texture and depth. Each of my Glass Carpets presents an opportunity for the viewer to travel on their own magical ride.
For me the greatest pleasure arrives each time I open the kiln and discover what actually occurred in the hours of heat. What one finds is nothing short of unexpected surprise and enjoyment.

For more information, please contact Robert Santacroce at 734 478-0630 or visit: http://www.santacrocedesign.net/index.html
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