LECTURES AT HOME- MARK HILL

Thank you very much Andy!! Amazing stuff, isn't it? I hope to be back to do more later, but also to visit more societies too, once lockdown is over and it's safe to do so 😊

Thank you Jacqueline!

I think you did do a good deal Louise!! Sam's artworks in glass are not only beautiful, thoughtful and influential, they're also becoming increasingly sought-after. That's also an early date, all said. I'd recommend the Sam Herman book I mentioned above, if you'd like to learn more about him, but I'm glad to have built your knowledge on him and re-awakened your love for the piece you have.

Thank you Jenny! I'm glad it's inspired you - there's so much to find. Lots of mid-century factory glass is easily found in flea markets, car boot sales, antiques fairs and (while lockdown is on) online auctions, and can be had for a couple of pounds upwards. It's often less expensive to buy than a contemporary piece too, and usually has a great story behind it too. Enjoy the rainbow of colours and fabulous forms!

Thanks Hugo, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yes, there are many studio glassmakers all over the world pushing the boundaries of what you can do with glass. If you're interested in exploring more, I'd suggest looking into the Contemporary Glass Society here in the UK (cgs.org.uk), the glass gallery at the V&A, and the Collect fair, organised by the Crafts Council (when things ease up) in London. There's also the British Glass Biennale, held every other Summer in Stourbridge, and a host of other smaller events such as those organised by the National Glass Centre in Sunderland or glassfairs.co.uk. You'll find the variety and level of skill and artistry eye-popping!

Thank you Jo, that's really kind of you! 20th century glass really is my passion, and I've been a fan of Sam's work for many years. It's such an influential period of time within the decorative arts, and the facts and its importance is only really just being revealed properly. Exciting stuff!

Thank you Helen! If you want to learn more about Sam, his biographical monograph was published last year - 'Sam Herman', edited by Rollo Campbell and with a foreword by The Marquess of Queensberry, published by Lund Humphries in 2019. It's the key work on his work, and beautifully and lavishly illustrated.

Thank you very much Kirsten! The Jam Factory just outside Adelaide was revolutionary and influential in so many ways, not just for glass. But I think that it's fair to say that, as a result, Australian studio glass today is truly world class because of the foundations it laid down.

Thank you very much Pat! I'd love to do more of these, but am also really looking forward to getting back out on the lecture circuit and meeting you all in person - once these restrictions can be lifted!

Thank you so much! Glass really is my passion, and I'm lucky enough to also make it part of my job too. Chihuly's work is staggering, from his designs to creation to his marketing abilities as regards his brand and sales. I think it's impossible to tire of it! I can strongly recommend the Chihuly Museum & Gardens in Seattle if you get a chance to go. There's quite a bit of Sam's work in the current display in the glass rooms at the V&A, and it's accompanied by work by his contemporaries and those he taught and their 'descendants' too, so it's interesting to draw parallels and see how people explored and developed the techniques he promoted. Enjoy!

@Mark Hill Thanks. The Seattle Chihuly Museum and Gardens are new since we were last there, but are on the list for a future visit (fingers crossed!). We were blown away by the Glass Bridge and Glass Museum in Tacoma many years ago, and more recently by a beautiful exhibition in Toronto (2016). I'm very grateful for all the talks and virtual museum and gallery tours now available, but can't wait to get out into the world again!

Thank you! I think it's often hard to speak in such general terms. But, generally speaking, most colourless, cut glass in traditional styles, or even bearing more modern and stylised designs, is very unpopular right now. We only need to look in charity shops to see the quantity that lies (sadly) unloved on shelves. Also consider what is being produced today - much of it is coloured and in interesting shapes. That indicates there is a demand for coloured glass in modern forms - be it from the second half of the 20th century, or a contemporary design based on it, or entirely fresh and new. However, much Victorian coloured glass is very 'out of fashion' and languishing at temptingly low prices...

Thanks for the kind words and great question 😀. By 'glassy' I meant that his works accentuate the actual properties of the medium. So they explore transparency or translucency; they are rounded and amorphous like glass wants to be in its natural state, rather than confined, geometric and linear; and the movement of colours and form suggest glass in its ductile state. His work also doesn't try to look like any other material. For example, Per Lütken used glass for his 1960s Carnaby range (Look it up on Google Images!), but made the glass look like plastic or glossy glazed ceramic. In many ways, it's the opposite of what Sam does.