The Glass Age Lands In Austin

There was the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and then the Iron Age, but now, today, we are currently living in the Glass Age.

From the beer bottle to the skyscraper, to the smart-phone, to the endless video downloads traveling down fiber-optic cables, glass is everywhere and more prevalent than you think. And the Glass Age has landed in the Austin art scene. This February at Artworks gallery, you’ll have a chance to meet four talented Austin area artists, and see how they transform this millennia-old material.

Beautiful vessels with finials by Lauren Hunt combine two different processes of glass making. Furnace working (traditional glass blowing) is used to make the vessel portion, in which she incorporates Venetian cane techniques (fine colored lines). Her finials are done at a smaller flame, utilizing borosilicate glass, and an applied gold luster.

Jared F. Rosenacker interprets the natural world through abstract forms by working with the glass in it’s two physical states. During the hot molten phase, Jared layers multiple glass colors into non-traditional blown forms. Once cooled and a solid, the glass is carved with diamond-abrasive tools to not only expose the layers of colors but also finalize the overall form through shape and texture.

Before settling in Austin, Jared spent 4 years working for the world-renowned Corning Museum of Glass in upstate NY. Through their outreach program, Jared demonstrated and educated his love for glass to guests onboard Celebrity Cruise ships. This experience allowed Jared to visit some 40 countries around the world.

Forever changed by these travels, Jared has found inspiration from the various terrains and coastlines of the world. Realizing the fascinating combination of time and elements that were needed to shape these sites, Jared replicates this process in glass through the use of layers and engraving to produce his artwork.

You’ll discover more beautiful works and other artists at the show at Artworks which runs through March 1st of 2019. But if you’re unable to attend, do not worry, for there will be more amazing works of glass to come in Austin.