Ditmar on tue 8 jul 03
Kiln casting and other "warm" glass techniques can be expensive.
Invariably there are some items used in each firing that are considered
disposable.
e.g. Molds, and molding materials, ceramic fiber, etc.
Kilns can be on for 1 - 2 weeks depending on the size of the casting. I know
casters that have had month long firings.
Some of the glasses themselves are costly. Dichroic sheets can be as much as
$150+ per square foot. ( granted, you usually don't use much ) Casting
glasses can be $15+ / lb.
......of course you can also have 2 day firings with glass that's almost
free too.
Ditmar
>
> Glass artists have to keep their kilns going almost all of the time, an
> expensive proposition ... although I believe that many of their material
costs are
> well below those of ceramics - at least that is what I came away with from
a
> discussion with a glassblower at a local art fair this weekend. I'm not
sure
> about this, but I think that the firing process for cast glass lasts about
a
> week. I think that the loss ratio in some parts of the glass casting
process
> are similar to those in wood firing. Also, many of those kilns are fairly
small
> by ceramic kiln standards.
>
> Those factors would add significantly to the cost of making glass.
>
> Bob Bruch
Paul Lewing on tue 8 jul 03
OK, I just have to share a story about clay artists vs. glass artists (if
indeed that glass stuff can be A... AAAA... you-know-what)
A very well-known critic in the crafts world is a member of my health club
and I occasionally see him in the locker room, and we usually talk about
some event or issue in the art world. Just after I'd returned from NCECA, I
mentioned that to him and he responded with scorn for NCECA, saying those
academics were losing out to the glass folks because they didn't know how to
take criticism (his, I assume). He also said that the fact that glass was
so expensive to produce had been its salvation, because it had never gained
a good foothold in university programs, and so had not been ruined by
academics.
I said that that might be true, but I still loved hanging out with clay
folks, be they academics or not. I said they were the most fun, had the
best parties, and were the best cooks.
He replied, "Yeah, if you like potlucks! And they may be better cooks, but
the glass people can afford caterers!"
Paul Lewing, Seattle
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