Studio Glass: A Movement in Fine Art

Following the Communist take-over in Czechoslovakia in 1948, every aspect of life became an object of control including that of glass production and design. All factories were nationalized and a new, external motivation spurned their output; Socialist Realism. It’s ironic that the revitalization of the industries came not from the upper ranks of the Socialist elite, but from the artists that they intended to control. Skilled artists like Josef Kaplicky, Stanislav Libensky and their pupils guided the redevelopment of the factories and the glass culture. The official aim was to rebuild the factories for the production of industrial goods i.e. glass fibers, automotive glass, television screens, etc., but the artists themselves claimed the unofficial motive; glass as a fine art.

The Communist doctrines at the time tightly controlled any artistic attempts at free expression as it could be ‘detrimental to the morale of the working classes.’ Glass was seen as holding functional or ornamental value; no political statements could be extracted from them, so it was thought. Many artists took refuge in studio glass as a way to retain their artistic freedom. And so the studio glass movement began to emerge, not just from a desire to develop new ways of glass production and its use as an artistic medium, but to express the freedom and intellectual potential of the individual. Unfortunately, this mode of expression was restricted under the reality of tightly controlled borders and very disconnected from the world around. Czechoslovakia was forbidden by the Communist authority to share it's goods and artists with the western world. So within this confined space lay the secrets of Czech glass artists and their works waiting to be seen. In 1957 at the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Milan, Italy and in 1958 at the World EXPO in Brussels, the world finally got the chance to see what the Czechoslovaks had been developing and were totally awed by what they saw; glass sculptures on a massive scale executed with incredibly accurate detail and skill. The names Stanislav Libensky and his wife, Jaroslava Brychtova, Rene Roubicek, Pavel Hlava, Vaclav Cigler, Vladimir Kopecky and Miluse Roubickova were now impressed on the minds of the world. These artists in their own way were able to transform the iron curtain that surrounded their country into one of glass, one which all could now look through. Later World EXPOs in Montreal, Osaka and Melbourne continued to highlight the growing and ever changing abilities and styles of Czech glass artists. The movement that was escalating in the late 1950's and early 1960's in independent studios of Czechoslovakia, the United States, and Japan was now starting to progress dynamically on an international scale. This cohesion among different international artists and the consequent sharing of ideas would further shape the character of the movement and the artists styles themselves.

The use of glass in architectural application became ever more popular to glass artists in the 1960's. So popular in fact that a new department of glass in architectural design was created at the prestigious Academy of Applied Arts in Bratislava. Vaclav Cigler, by now known world-wide for his mastery of optical and prismatic glass, was chosen to head the department. The students that trained under him at this school and the students learning under Libensky in Prague took minimalist concepts that were predominant in architectural design methodology and combined them with the geometrical and prismatic qualities of glass. The styles that resulted from this union dominated the movement through the 1970's.

The artists themselves became more daring in their attempts to use glass in variable ways. This included efforts to use glass as a canvas for painting as well as fusing glass with other materials such as wood, ceramics, bronze, metal and stone. Through their contributions, Czech and Slovak artists have taken glass from something of a mere craft and vaulted it into a class of nothing less than fine art.

Following the Velvet Revolution in 1989, glass artists continued to pursue greater challenges in spite of the near collapse of a large number of state owned glass factories because of economic privatization. The market for factory blown, functional glass is currently entering into a questionable time period because of western competition and the resulting rise in domestic prices. However, the studio glass movement continues to and the proof lies in a broadening international interest in studio glass and contemporary glass design. Respect for glass and its innate qualities have pushed beyond the realm of the art community and private collectors as more public projects involving glass are being commissioned.

As this new century begins, Czech artists continue to make a profound effect on the world community of glass art. New exhibitions around the world highlight the immense talent and unique abilities of these artists and the Czech glass makers who provide the medium for them. Like shimmering light shining through a prism, the different directions of the Studio Glass Movement radiate infinitely.

Sources:

Foulds, Diane E., A Guide to Czech and Slovak Glass, European Community Imports: Prague, Czech Republic, 1995

Petrova, Sylva, Pavel Hlava, Grafiatisk: Prague, Czech Republic, 1995

Petrova, Sylva, Light Transfigured - Contemporary Czech Glass Sculpture, Asahi Shimbun Inc.: Osaka, Japan, 2000