New York City,NY

New York City,NY

Tuesday, 12. March 2013

 

‘Hello, how are you?’ … we hesitate and ponder over possible replies. Should we tell this unknown sales assistant that I have a sore back and a hole in my tooth? Until our brains have remembered what we have learned by observing Americans, the moment has passed and the appropriate reply: ‘I’m good’ hasn’t come out in time. After these initial stumbling blocks, we succeed in having conversations with all sorts of people without further hiccups. From the New York glassmaking community; we have visited Josiah McElheny, Brooklyn Glass, Urban Glass and the Heller Glass Gallery. Josiah McElheny is a very successful member of the art scene here and is just adding the finishing touches to his newly re-opened studio. As the last hurricane had flooded the studio with one meter of water, he will be able to blow glass again next week. At Brooklyn Glass we’ve encountered the highest safety standards so far. On arrival we were given safety glasses and a form to sign, which declares that we take all responsibility should we injure ourselves. Brooklyn Glass doesn’t just own an impressive collection of safety glasses, but also a very big and beautiful studio in which they sublet working spaces. Next to the glass furnace they have four fully equipped working spaces along with giant cooling chambers. Next door is a neon light factory with an impressive storage of materials. In the immediate neighbourhood there is also the temporary studio of Urban Glass. At Urban Glass they make everything apart from glass, which they plan to change with the move to new premises. Some finished products you can see at Heller Glass Gallery, which sells pieces of most of the notable glassmakers. One of the pieces we both particularly liked is by Kim Harty, which depicts a mountain range made of interwoven glass fibres. Coincidentally, Kim Harty took part in a glass performance on Friday evening at Brooklyn Glass and made a piece from this series. It seemed so simple; layering thin glass fibres on top of each other in a whipping movement and thus creating the mountain scene. Her presentation was equally impressive: A recorded and monotonously spoken text about glass making skills came from an endlessly repeating tape in the background; the entire room was dark but for the glowing furnace out of which she kept extracting the glass. Afterwards, filled with happiness, we waddled home.