Anatomy & Architecture in Lampworking

This immersive workshop invites students to explore the boundaries of lampworking through the vision of Maestro Lucio Bubacco. The course aims to guide participants through the conceptualization and execution of glass sculptures, crafted entirely from COE 104 glass using traditional and innovative lampworking techniques.

Technical & Descriptive Focus: The core of the program focuses on the mastery of heat control and gravity to manipulate molten glass into personal, predefined forms. Students will delve into the dual challenge of Anatomy and Architecture:

• Anatomy: Participants will study the human form, focusing on the fluidity of movement, muscle tension, and the expressive potential of figurative glass. The goal is to move beyond static shapes to create figures that seem to move and react within their environment.
• Architecture: Parallel to the figurative study, the course will explore the creation of structural glass elements—backgrounds, glass elements and geometric supports. These architectural components serve not just as pedestals, but as integral narrative parts of the artwork.

The Creative Process: A key technical aspect will be the structural assembly of multiple glass components. Students will learn how to engineer a single, cohesive work by combining three distinct elements: the figure, the architectural stage, and the decorative details. 

Through this process, students will gain an understanding of thermal stress, spatial balance, and the logic of ‘hot-joining’ as applied to delicate, borosilicate-free glass (soft glass).

By the end of the week, students will have gained a unique perspective on how to bridge the gap between technical virtuosity and artistic storytelling, transforming simple COE 104 rods into a sophisticated three-dimensional masterpiece.

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