Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Glass blowing'

My work centers around the fact that I am a glassblower working with glass objects within a glasstradition. My BFA project from 2009 entitled ”the bastards have landed” was my first attempt atmapping out what that ultimately meant to me as a practitioner in a contemporary craft context. Theresult of that project was a discovery of my making as a way of using tradition to tell stories aboutitself. My conclusion was that by using the traditional objects as symbols I had a channel throughwhich I could communicate. Glass is a material who´s domains are closely connected to a domesticand consumeristic environment. It is put in a position where we react to its appearance with ourbody memory while also carries different social and material values depending on its appearance.When entering the master program at Konstfack University of Art Craft and Design, my idea wasthat over the next coming two years my focus would lie in the exploration and research of thesemechanisms as well as my own position as a maker and practitioner within these mechanisms.Craft, design and making are subjects that are constantly being talked about and analyzed from anumber of perspectives. There are philosophers, sociologists, historians and art historians constantlynegotiating what the field of craft is dealing with. This is something that I over the years have foundas something quite disturbing in some cases. This leaves me in a situation where I am no longerdefining my own practice. And when I am to define my practice I always do it through the ideas ofpeople from ”outside” my own position. There are many good writers from variousdisciplines writing about craft and making that I have had great use of and input from but I feel thatthere is a big lack of craft practitioners who are defining their discipline from their own standpoint.This situation is to me a bit outdated.So as mentioned above I have entered the master program with an idea to find out how to deal withveiled subjects such as tacit knowledge and material culture in order to try to transform them into acommunicative body of knowledge. My work during the past three semesters have been spread outover a number of different projects dealing with these subjects both based on objects as well asforming a discussion together with my master group.The main cause in this thesis is as always in my case to shed light on and to formulate questionsand hopefully answers around my own practice and its related subjects.The main reason for this is that craft and making as a tool for knowledge production is a cloudedsubject but according to me it holds a lot of potential. Not only for understanding questions outsidethe field but also to unveil and strengthen the practice itself.

Tacit knowledge is argued to be a crucial resource to organizations’ competitive advantage. The majority of research on tacit knowledge is oriented towards the conversion of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge, thus assuming that all knowledge can be made explicit and captured in formal ways. These approaches overlook the intangible nature of tacit knowledge by overestimating that explicit knowledge.  This study takes a human centered approach with the aim to examine the factors that are necessary for an environment that works with tacit knowledge. A theoretical framework derived from the literature review and served as guidance for the data collection and analysis. Hermeneutics is the underlying philosophy that guides this study. The study is qualitative study conducted in the glass blowing in Sweden, respectively in two sites Pukeberg and Transjö Hytta. Participants of the study were masters and apprentices from these two settings. Data collection methods included literature studies, documents, participant observation, informal interviews and semi-structured interviews. Results from the analysis show the significance of several social factors that need to be present in an environment that involves tacit knowledge. These factors appeared to be related to each other. Data analysis indicated that not all factors are equally important, thus they have been classified into primary and secondary factors.

This thesis project consists of 19 sculptures. The medium is hot blown glass. The work interprets and extends the visual and metaphorical qualities of bagpipes. The utilization of the German dudelsack references the playful improvisational nature of these international and culturally diverse forms.

My engagement with making is a metaphor that contains the interior landscapes of my mind. I continue to explore it by comparing and contrasting exterior and interior, investigating surface and depth, covering and exposing, and taking apart and putting together. I work to translate my individual experiences and emotions into a tangible form. The visual dialogues that I engage in with my work explore a range of aspects that are inherent and specific to my Japanese cultural heritage. It often springs from my daily encounters with the subtle nuances and observable oddities of living in the “West”. These experiences have added to my self-awareness, and my sense of identity. I’ve always been fascinated by the visual phenomenon that occurs when light is transmitted, reflected, and/or refracted on/in/and through glass materials. I integrate these observable optical phenomena into personal narratives; by using “the-perceptional-shifts” that only the quality of glass it-self can generate, I transform my emotions into concrete materiality. The body of work that has developed over the past two years focuses on integrating my experiences, emotions and feelings, distance and time, and memories of and longing for my twin sister. I marry new technology with old, and attempting to bring the sensitivity of craft to new methods of making. Embedded in this work is my passion for life, materials, and making.

Pour prévoir et mettre au point la mise en forme d'articles volumiques en verre, les modèles éléments finis et les simulations numériques sont développées pour trois grands procédés : le pressage, le fluage et le soufflage. Par une formulation thermomécanique découplée, les modèles tiennent compte de l'écoulement newtonien du verre en présence des conditions de contact fortement évolutives au cours de la mise en forme ; la convection avec l'air et la conduction avec les outils sont estimes, soit par un modèle éléments finis en formulation implicite, soit de manière originale par un calcul analytique de la distribution de température limite à l'épaisseur de l'article en verre. Ces modèles sont utilisés avec succès pour une analyse de sensibilité des trois procédés aux paramètres géométriques et processus, en vue de leur optimisation et de leur validation, lors de la fabrication d'articles type issus des catalogues de fabricants verriers. Enfin, en s'appuyant sur le savoir-faire et les relevés expérimentaux, ces modèles numériques permettent la recherche de solutions adaptées, lors de la fabrication de deux articles de référence dans des situations extrêmes de formage.

La miniaturisation des systèmes d'imagerie présente aujourd'hui un fort potentiel dans plusieurs domaines, dont le développement de nouveaux dispositifs biomédicaux. Les exigences associées concernant l'imagerie demandent un effort substantiel dans le développement de composants optiques de haute qualité. Un meilleur contrôle de la propagation de la lumière ou de ses caractéristiques dans de tels systèmes est également important. Les composants doivent donc, par exemple, contenir les aberrations optiques pouvant affecter la résolution, la mise en œuvre de composants optiques dont le profil de phase continu est bien contrôlé est une voie intéressante. Ces composants devraient, de plus, être réalisés à partir de matériaux robustes en vue de leur assemblage au sein de dispositifs miniatures. Ce manuscrit de thèse de doctorat porte donc sur la conception et la fabrication parallèle de tels micro-composants optiques réfractifs réalisés en verre. Dans ce but, deux technologies ont été étudiées et optimisées, la lithographie à niveaux de gris et un procédé de soufflage de verre. En exemple, des microaxicons en verre ont été fabriqués et la génération de faisceaux de Bessel démontrée. Ce type de faisceau est caractérisé par une longue distance de propagation non-diffractive le long de l'axe optique, suivie d'une forme de faisceaux creux, qui les rend très utiles dans de nombreux domaines. Ces travaux de thèse ont été soutenus par le projet SMYLE (Small Systems for a Better Life) et le conseil Régional de Franche-Comté
Miniaturization of imaging systems shows nowadays a strong potential for many applications, in particular, e. g., for novel biomedical devices. Related imaging specifications require a substantial effort onto the development of high quality microoptical components. better control of light propagation and features in such system sis also of particular interest. Components should then e.g. contain optical aberrations in order to reach high resolutions. In purpose of searching higher diffraction efficiencies or resolutions, optical components with well-controlled continuous phase profiles are sought. In addition, they also should be made of robust materials to handle their further assembly into miniaturized devices. Consequently, the manuscript focuses on the design and the parallel fabrication of such microoptical components made of glass. To that end, two technologies have been studied and optimized, namely gray-scale lithography and glass-blowing processes. As an example, glass-based microaxicons have been fabricated and Bessel beams generation has been demonstrated. This type of beam exhibits a long non-diffractive propagation distance along the optical axis followed by a dark hollow shape which makes them useful in many different applications. This work has been supported by the SMYLE (Smart Systems for a Better Life) European project and the Ranche-Comté Regional Council

Embedding screenprinted transfers is one of several processes that can be used by artists as a means of expression to decorate blown glass forms. When screenprinted transfers are embedded into layers of glass and inflated, the imagery can be affected by a number of factors that limit the process. These limitations can include stretching and distortion of imagery, loss of density resulting in faded imagery and loss of clarity and detail of the imagery. Compatibility issues can also result in the artwork cracking. These limitations can result in the artworks being deemed unfit for their purpose, particularly when created for exhibition. This research addressed these limitations through the development of seven print inspired glass processes that alleviated or improved the limitations and provided alternative decorative processes to the use of printed transfers. This was achieved using a multi-method practice led research methodology approached from the perspective of a professional glass artist. To substantiate the research, several bodies of artwork were produced that developed and demonstrated the practicality and creative potential of the creative print inspired glass processes and extended the repertoire of visual effects that can be achieved when decorating blown glass forms. Throughout the research the print inspired glass processes were assessed for decorative qualities as well as the practicality of each process. To contribute to the limited technical knowledge currently available on the process of combining glass and print for the decoration of blown glass forms, the contextual review consolidated existing information. Technical guides relating to the seven print inspired glassmaking processes were formulated as part of the research.

碩士
國立臺灣藝術大學
工藝設計學系
104
Cased glass is an application of glass arts, which is a delicate and flexible technique left behind through the accumulated wisdom of our ancestors hundreds of years ago. In the recent historical context of glass artifacts are numerous versatile cased glass works. Ancient cased glass existed for the practical purpose, whereas modern cased glass is created with the elements of arts or elements of design so as to express individual idea of creation in addition to functionality. Works of distinct flavors emerge in the historical backgrounds of different times. This thesis aims to discuss the application of cased glass in the technique of glass blowing. We standardize this material and make a test glass out of it. In the trial test, we use induction from pairing glass colors of differing attributes, and produce standard test glasses respectively. As the next step, we compare the differences and variations in visual effect. Once the analysis is administered, we establish the standard operative procedure as the reference for cased glass creation in the future.

Although many texts discuss studio glass blowing in Australia, few focus on the South Australian situation and even fewer are written by studio glass blowers themselves. As a studio glass blower, I bring to this research experiential knowledge of practice to offer new insights into studio glass blowing. The study accesses knowledge that is implicit, embodied and tacit; knowledge derived from living and working within a particular community. In using this knowledge, I highlight the importance of both financial survival and the development of practice in creating a practitioner's perspective of studio glass blowing in South Australia. The study is designed as an ethnography. This incorporated a review of the literature and images found in published texts; interview and questionnaire data; anecdotal narratives and familiarity with the South Australian glass blowing community; and tacit knowledge of glass blowing practice, glass blowing skills and techniques. This tacit knowledge was accessed through an auto-ethnographic investigation of re-making the selected artefacts. The selection of these artefacts was based on my personal knowledge of glass blowing processes, first hand relationships with individual glassblowers, observation of artefacts and prior experience of working as a studio glass blower.

Glass has been made and used for centuries but South African artists, isolated for the last three decades, are only now becoming aware of the potential of hot or warm glass as an art medium. In antiquity glass objects were created using various processes but the 'factory' tradition began with the discovery of the blowing iron in the first century AD. The invention of the tank furnace in the late 1950s revolutionised modem production, enabling individual artists to make glass in private studios without blowing teams. The research describes ancient.. glassmaking processes and indicates how they have been explored, adapted and used by contemporary artists world wide, challenging craft orientated paradigms, and proving that glass is a viable and important sculpture medium. The practical research demonstrates the application of many processes and relates technical issues to sculptural concepts which are realized through the physical and material properties of glass.
Art History, Visual Arts & Musicology
M.A. (Fine Art)

Principal message of this thesis is to introduce designer Pavel Pánek putting him into proper historical context and to reveal some of his unpublished designs or sketches which are hidden to the eye of wider audience. First chapter is fully devoted to the concise history of technique of pressing glass and mention is made of so called pressing ring playing important role in it. One of the sections contains in brief Pavel Pánek's biography where some moments of crucial importance are underlined. Most important part is that, which provides with account of Pánek's works that I found either interesting or crucial for the development of pressed glass. At the beginning of the description of each piece brief description of used technology is added. I am striving to emphasize Pánek's inexhaustible inventiveness and knowledge of techniques that eventually gave rise to some of his best pieces ever. It appears that in some way Pánek was to a certain extent predestined to grow into a sculptor of great providence especially for the sake of his vocational education. Due to the fact Pánek's personality faces false accusation of plagiarism and theft of foreign invention nowadays I had to include apologetic chapter in it. At the end of the thesis I conclude that Pánek, embodied one of the most experimentally -...

碩士
玄奘大學
視覺傳達設計學系碩士班
107
Glass craft is one part of the long development history of crafts. Early glass craft focused mostly on practicality. It is only with improvements in workmanship and techniques that the focus has shifted from practicality to artistic development. Furthermore, through continuous exchange, learning and education, glass products with local cultural characteristics have been developed in various countries. To this day, glass is no longer just a common medium and material in life. Apart from an ever richer variety of appearances, it is a material with which the makers express themselves and record their life experiences as well. A diversity of styles and creative ideas have been developed in glass art nowadays. This has inspired me to explore possibilities in glassmaking by undertaking experimental research and creation. This study focuses on the application of etching on blown glass. Casing was applied on test panels of the same specifications, and varying degrees of sandblasting and grinding were performed on the test panels to explore the iii visual effects and variations in shade. Moreover, in order to demonstrate optimum visuals from the images and patterns, fully transparent goblets were made in practice to examine the application of etching in the hope of providing a reference for the field of glass art. Keywords: glass art, blown glass, etching, cased glass

The ancient glass collection of the National Museum has more than 200 completely intact and so far - beside few exceptions - unpublished vessels which encompass a wide chronological framework from the 5th century BC until the end of antiquity. The core of the collection is composed of mold-blown and free-blown glass. The analysis of the collection offers a view into the history of the ancient glass production; examples of all kinds of production methods can be found in it - from a corn-formed glass, through a glass made by sagging into a form, and up to a mold-blown and free-blown glass. A great number of various decoration techniques and styles used in antiquity are represented in the collection; also, it contains vessels from various places within the Roman Empire, as well as outside of it. The major part of the work comprises blown glass from the Roman imperial period (chapter four), both free-blown and mold-blown, and from this virtually half are unguentaria of various types. Almost all types of vessel produced in this period are found in this chapter. The vessels were ordered according to types - e.g. open shapes, closed shapes and in the framework of these types they are arranged further - according to other criteria which create other sub-groups - as for example forms without a foot or on a...