Thursday, January 24, 2013

The Revolution Of Glass Sculpture Alberta

By Patrice McCoy


Environmentalists have stressed the need for the protection of the environment in the recent years. The development of a proper waste management system has taken center stage in these campaigns. The handling of non biodegradable refuse such as plastic, metals and glasses has been one the most discussed issues in this regard. Interestingly, glass sculpture Alberta has provided a very new platform from which some wastes can be managed.

Here, artists have managed to make all sorts of imaginable and unimaginable pieces of art just by using shattered glasses collected from disposal sites and factories. The pieces have been marketed across different markets all over the world for a fortune. These include decorations, wall hangings, bowls and vases. The Sculptures have also been modeled from the waste glass materials.

Once enough shatters have been collected, they are placed in a furnace and heated at high temperatures until a vicious liquid is formed. The molten glass is now ready for blowing. Air is introduced so that the molten glass turns into a flexible film through this process. The flexible film is then molded into the desired shapes. The film can also be colored at this stage.

The model is then left to cool off in its entirety. The cooling process can take up to several days for bigger pieces. The end product of this process is a strong piece of glasswork with unique features. In addition, the sculpture is tough and cannot easily shatter.

There is no limitation as to the different forms of shapes that can be molded by the sculptors. Animal sculptures, monuments, windows and photo frames are just a few samples of what artists have been able to make from recycled glass. These have been used for aesthetic purposes both in residential homes as well as in office blocks. Churches and cathedrals also get their beautiful windows from these artists.

Based on the physics of refraction of light, some artists have incorporated new ideas into their work with very impressive results. Here, light is passed though the glass at varying intensities and the outcome is a beautiful array of emergent lights. A good example is the beautiful lighting systems in a disco hall that is generated by this idea.

Hence, not all waste materials are bad for the environment. This is because some of it can be recycled and put into good use. Making sculptures out of recycled glasses has actually been a source of income to artists around the world. These artists have managed to come up with very unique models representing different themes. The sculptures have been sold all over the world and brought financial gain to the artists. Museums and art galleries have also been a good market for their sculptures.

Over the recent years, the academic world has shown a great interest in this field. The artists have been invited to give speeches about their work in several conferences. The increased interest in the industry has seen an increase in colleges and universities offering courses in glass sculpture Alberta.




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