Process driven
Through initial interest in ceramics, Bella’s artistic expression evolved into the fluid medium of glass. A beautiful and almost mystical material which demands some elemental treatment; fire and heat to be molten, water for polishing, oxidisation for colours, sand for mass. A keen technical interest in the performance of glass lead her to developing her bridge and light ‘vortex’ features. Key to every piece - an unmistakable, signature style of Bella Hawkes’ art.
These bridges are technically challenging and have taken years to develop. They represent channels of communication from one side of the work to the other and the vortexes of light are at their anchor points. These discuss through the work the significance of relationships, connection and balance.
Below is detailed information on the specialist and skilled production techniques that go into making Bella’s hand made glass art. Glass blowing as a process is ancient, and clients that own glass sculpture hold a direct relationship to a two and a half thousand year old art form.
A brief history of glassblowing:
Glass is formed when sand (silica), soda (alkali), and lime are fused at high temperatures. It can be found naturally, for example; when lighting strikes sand.
Archaeological evidence has been found dating from the 1st century BC of primitive technologies used to produce molten glass and crucially cool it down gradually enough to avoid cracking (annealing the made objects.) Craftsmen from Phoenicia and Mesopotamia, (modern day Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and Cyprus), used clay ‘blowpipes’ to form glass into vessels and objects. Kilns were then used to cool down and anneal them. Africa and Egypt also appear to have ancient glass works that consistently produced glassware. Techniques from this time, underpin some glassblowing process today.
The Roman Empire (0AD - 472AD) enabled further development and sharing of glass production knowledge over a large geographical area. The use and availability of blown glass items increased but they remained specialist or expensive items.
Following the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th Century, Venice became a major centre of glass making for over a thousand years. The island of Murano within the Venetian archipelago became renowned for glass production, particularly for fine glassware known a ‘cristallo.’ Venetian artisans developed colouring techniques, moulding and blowing processes that allowed for much more consistency and quality. The art formed a key component in middle age Venetian economy and glass artists were immune from prosecution such was their status.
Murano is still known for world renowned glass production. It is also maintains a specialist craft industry for the production of some of the best glass blowing tools in the world. Bella uses hand tools made on Murano, especially tailored to fit her hand to help create the work.
The industrial revolution of the 19th century brought further consistency and progression in glass output. Glass Factories produced great quantities of glass products and advancements in science developed new formulas of glass. Aspects of traditional artisan blown glass production also began to be replaced by machine or industrial process, for example in table glassware and drinking vessels.
Today glass making; while a highly specialist discipline as a fine art form, has its place on the world stage. Glass art represents one of the most exciting, innovative and unusual disciplines in the modern art scene.
Bella’s clients hold within her work, a living continuation of this ancient craft.
Glassblowing has been documented in Ancient Egyptian murals.
Parts of Africa also continue to work in a traditional way.
Venetian glassblowers maintained and developed their art for over 1000 years.
The Industrial revolution in the 19th Century allowed for glass production to become highly commercialised. Vessels and objets became more accessible to the general populous.
More available and cheaper glassware contributed to the decline of glassblowing as an art form.
The processes used to make Bella’s sculptures are based on traditional techniques but experiment with new forms.
Sources:
historyofglass.com - memoryglass.com. - britannica.com.
Inspiration
A delight for the aesthetics contained within anatomy, bones and other organic forms is a key influence in Bella’s work. There is a relationship between material and form, static and motion that both the organic body and glass as a material both exhibit.
Early on her glass work often tried to mimic muscle, ligatures or sinu found in the human body. Being transparent, Bella’s sculptures allow the viewer to see the structure of the piece - a key element to presenting Bella loves. As her body of work evolved the shapes move towards aiming for beautiful or aesthetic qualities.
Bella previously studied biology. Details from medical x-rays, animal bones from cooking stock or details such as within Greys Anatomy, (author Henry Grey, illustrator H.V. Carter) or drawn by Leonardo Da Vinci,. These have all been sources of inspiration.
While at first glance static, glass can also constantly change: light reflections and refractions move depending on conditions, position and viewing angle. This is a visual richness allowed by glass and what Bella finds exciting. To change so much after creation; it is a morphic and refreshing art medium of which few other art forms have the ability.
‘Anatomy of an arm (studies)’ by Leonardo da Vinci c1510
Glass making process
Bella creates her work in two areas;
>’Hot’ work - in a glass blowing hotshop that involves molten / liquid glass and free forming cooler, less fluid material.
>’Cold’ work - in her fathers studio involving cutting, carving and polishing the glass into a desirable sculpture.
Hot Work
This stage is the beginning of the physical process that creates every handmade glass piece. Bella does not mould or CAD machine form her art. She considers the performance of the glass; its make up, colour and how it may react before starting. Bella uses only high quality glass to form her pieces and has worked for over 10 years to understand the sometimes fickle nature of molten or hot glass.
Initially glass for studio blowing is formed by melting cullet down in a furnace at over 1000 degrees centigrade.
This molten glass is then gathered and blown into a bubble shape with a hollow blowing iron. When blown and ‘hot’ worked the glass is more viscous and generally between 850-1000 degrees centigrade.
Once finished glass pieces are cooled very gradually to room temperature within specialist kilns. This is to gently alleviate material stress and is called annealing. If hot glass cools too quickly it can explode!
Working within a hotshop often requires assistants; this helps the speed of executing techniques and maintains a working temperature of the glass.
The key tools involved in this process are:
blowing iron: to blow air into the glass.
punty iron: for holding, enables different angles of the glass to be worked on.
marver: a flat plate for rolling the glass when viscous, historically made of a marble slab.
blocks, jacks, paddles, tweezers, shears and even paper: all help to shape the glass.
Flameworking tools; used to heat and form the glass locally.
Molten glass on the end of a blowing iron, a small bubble is visible: the start of everything.
At a given point Bella or her and the collaborating artist stop the hot working and allows the glass to anneal to a cooled state; forever freezing a unique moment in time.
Other hand tools are used skilfully within the process.
Cold Work
The cold work to be done is often, but not always, the final stage and Bella’s attention to detail and eye help finalise any design here.
Once cool and stable, Bella cuts, carves and polishes everything in her father Johnny Hawkes’ workshop to further form the sculptures to the artistic intent. Her hand and machine tools, the clamps and techniques are often invented by Johnny or adapted to suit each piece and assist the creation of a high quality finish.
Bella’s work is a unique blend of synthesis and considered composition.
Bella’s work designed and hand made in South West England. Most of her works are by commission only.
Please do get in touch regarding current exhibitions, commissions or pieces for sale.
Hand and machine tools further work the glass.
Bella’s signature style includes ‘bridges’ formed within each piece.