In Concert With Glass
Overview of Solo Works (2008–present)
Themes of the body—with gesture, emotion, or sense—are almost always present in my work, especially in my solo projects, but also in collaborations. (This includes 'Makers Marks' and the 'Sorrows' projects, where my collaborators and I tried to make glass more approachable and even touchable through interactive technologies.) My work takes on a variety of forms, from sculpture to installation to film to hand-bound books, and while glass is always a primary medium, I choose the processes and format that best express the project concepts. Many fall into one of four strands—'The Body Projects', the 'The Glass Lace Project', 'Artist's Books', and 'Containment'—which I highlight here and in the pages under 'Solo Works' . For more details about my creative practice, please visit my creative practice page. (Images: Lisa Naas)
'The Body Projects', currently comprised of 'The Fascinator' and 'Embodiment', explore body perceptions and the temporality of the body. The image here shows a model fitting for 'The Fascinator'. For more details about these two glass works, please see their webpages accessed under the menu heading 'Solo Works'.
This project examines the feminine handkerchief accessory. The work is comprised of a series of glass pieces with a lace motif and references to draping and romance: 'Mourning Lace', 'Incidentally', and 'Painted Veil'. Each piece considers a different aspect of this storied article of traditional female dress. The image here is a detail of 'Mourning Lace', which is in the collection of the Murano Museum of Glass now.
Book platforms—artist’s books especially—are regular features of my creative practice. I often use the form of the book to help convey its content and meaning. I intend the books to be art pieces unto themselves. In addition to my PhD artist's book-thesis, I also feature three additional artist's books in this website: 'Bound to Break', 'Come Undone', and 'A Looking Glass Book'. This image shows a detail from 'Bound to Break'. More information can be found in the project subpages.
'Containment', 'capturing', and 'reclaiming' are theme words that can describe several of my projects, but two stand out. They are my most recent, ongoing conceptual project 'Measuring My Days' and my very earliest glasswork, 'Fishing' or 'Fare Forward'. The former uses reclaimed glass jars and the latter uses traditional studio glass, but both work with glass inclusions. Explore more by clicking the link below.