Murano
Murano is the birthplace of Venetian glass.
We did not have opportunity to visit the island, a short distance from Venice in the lagoon. Many years ago my younger adult self imagined that I could launch a business that marketed American hot glass art pieces to overseas customers. This dream proved to be unrealistic on many accounts, but I learned a lot. I met some impressive artists along the way of exploration of my quest. When we return to Italy and Venice, I will make a point to visit Murano.
A feature of the day spent in Venice was a demonstration of hot glass technique at the Murano gallery-store. A master of the craft came over from the island in order to give us the demonstration. Once I was given opportunity to try my hand at manipulating a blob of molten 2,000 F. glass at the end of a steel punty rod. Instantly it was obvious to me why it takes years of apprenticeship under a Maestro before one even begins to make objects of beauty and meaning.
Our group circled around the mouth of the glory hole of the furnace, as the Maestro drew a transparent baseball sized orb of molten glass. Within a few moments he used the blow pipe to create a bubble, and then steel forceps to pinch-off a foot to the vessel that he was conceiving to create. At that point a few deft moves of the pincher tool formed the outlines of a decorative horse image – which you can make out in the photos. All the while the glowing silica material was cooling, becoming less plastic, soon to be placed in the annealing oven for a step-down cooling. If no internal flaw causes the piece to crack while cooling, the vessel with the decorative horse would be offered for sale in the shop.
The header image is of the full scale horse in translucent green glass, displayed in the waiting area of the glass shop. The work is a silent, transcendent statement – of the dedication, of the deep knowledge of the Venetian masters.
Music, music, music… There’s always time enough for a tune. Dreams by the Cranberries seems right at this juncture. To dream, to learn, to create!
