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Glass Artists, Companies, & Studios

books about glass artists

In this section you'll find books about individual glass artists and some of the companies and studios they founded or worked for. We've tried to arrange them in related groups, but there's really no particular order. Browse around and see who's here.

This page is still under construction, so you'll notice some unlinked titles. If any of those titles catch your interest, search for them using the search box at the bottom of the page.

If we missed your favorite glassmaker, use that same search box to find them.


Dale Chihuly

There are so many books, videos, and DVD's by and about Dale that we had to give him his own section in our Glass Library. You'll find more by going here.


William Morris, Glass: Artifact and Art by Henry Geldzahler, William Morris
Billy Morris is arguably the most creative artist working in hot glass today. His technique is unsurpassed. His imagery, inspired by the remnants of ancient civilizations, ethnic cultures worldwide, a healthy dose of mythology, and Billy's fascination with the natural world, stretches the limits of imagination. In short, we think his work is awesome!


 
William Morris glass bookWilliam Morris: Artifacts/Glass - by Gary Blonston, William Morris, Johnson Vinnedge (Photographer)





 
Billy Morris glass book William Morris: Animal/Artifact
by James Yood, Tina Oldknow, Robert Vinnedge (Photographer), C. W. Guildner, Amy Herd (Photographer)




William Morris: Man Adorned by Blake Edgar, James Yood, William Morris, Robert Vinnedge
The latest body of work by this incredible glass artist.


Ancient memories: The glass sculpture of William Morris


Paul J. Stankard: Homage to Nature by Ulysses Grant Dietz, John Bigelow Taylor (Photographer)

Glass artists and collectors must have this book! Beautiful and informative. Wonderful photographs of Paul's work and detailed photographs of his techniques. Some artists would hoard their information, but this book reveals the fine subtleties of torchwork for all to see. All persons interested in the fine art of lampwork, especially artists and collectors, should have this book.


The Art of Emile Galle - by Tim Newark

Emile Gallé produced some of the most beautiful objects made in the Art Nouveau style. Concentrating on his vast output in glass, this book also pictures some of his most outstanding works in wood.


Emile Galle - by Philippe Garner


Glass by Galle - by Duncan, De Bartha


Emile Galle: Dreams into Glass - by William Warmus


G. Argy-Rousseau: Glassware As Art: With a Catalogue Raisonne of the Pates De Verre by Janine Bloch-Dermant

This is a beautiful book! If you like Art Nouveau, if you like Pate de Verre, if you like French glasswork... You'll definitely like this book!


Louis Comfort Tiffany glass bookThe Art of Louis Comfort Tiffany - by Vivienne Couldrey

"Louis Comfort Tiffany was the famous son of a famous father. The father founded Tiffany & Co., the eminent New York jewellery and silver store; the son became the foremost exponent of Art Nouveau.

Interior decorator and architect, painter in oil and watercolor, designer, jeweller and, above all, creator of the richly glowing, iridescent glass which is indelibly associated with his name, Tiffany was the leader of American taste in art and decoration for 40 years. ...Tiffany's prodigious energy and creativity found form in stained glass, mosaic, pottery, enamels, tapestries, jewellery, furniture, landscape and house design.

At the turn of the century, Tiffany was at the height of his creativity, his popularity was immense, and he was showered with awards... And yet, a mere decade later, the tide of fashion turned against him. He died in virtual obscurity, his work forgotten or ignored by the art world of the day.

It was only in the 1950's that a new interest in Tiffany glass began to emerge; today his work commands fabulous prices and his name once more is synonymous with glamour and luxury, beauty and color. The dramatic story of his rise and fall is that of a man convinced of his own genius, adventurous and talented enough to be unorthodox, feted, ignored and finally vindicated by time."


TIFFANY - with an introductory biography of Louis Comfort Tiffany by Victor Arwas.

This book includes ONLY works in glass. Each color plate is accompanied by a brief description of the glasswork shown, often including comments on the techniques used to create the piece.


TIFFANY GLASSWARE


TIFFANY WINDOWS - by Alastair Duncan


Tiffany Stained Glass Windows bookTiffany Stained Glass Windows: 24 Ready-to-Mail Full-Color Postcards






Tiffany stained glass lamps bookLamps of Tiffany Studios - by William Feldstein


Lamps of Tiffany - by Egon Neustadt


Tiffany glass lamps postcards bookTiffany Lamps Post Cards: 24 Full-Color Ready-To-Mail Cards - From the Neustadt Collection at the New-York Historical Society. Among them: the well-known "Wisteria," "Peony," "Dragonfly" and "Spider Web" designs. With introduction and captions by Nina Gray, Curator of Decorative Arts, the New-York Historical Society.


Tiffany glassmaking Nash Favrile glass bookBehind the Scenes of Tiffany Glassmaking: The Nash Notebooks: Including Tiffany Favrile Glass - by Nancy A. McClelland, Martin Eidelberg, Leslie Hayden Nash, Martin P. Eidelberg (Editor)





Why Not?: The Art of Ginny Ruffner by Bonnie J. Miller

"Since the mid-1980's, Ginny Ruffner has been recognized worldwide as one of the major artists of the modern studio glass movement. Her lampworked glass sculpture, which has been selected for shows and museums in Switzerland, Australia, Japan, and the United States, has dazzled audiences with its playful imagery, insightful allusions, and intelligent commentary.

In Why Not? The Art of Ginny Ruffner, author Bonnie J. Miller captures Ruffner's creative imagination and indomitable spirit. ...Miller analyzes her art with candor, humor, and a gifted critical eye. The voices of philosopher and art critic Arthur Danto and the artist herself add to the story of Ruffner's remarkable life and work, complementing the full-color illustrations of more than fifty major works."


Richard Marquis Objects by Tina Oldknow

"Richard Marquis has had an extraordinary influence on the development of contemporary studio glass in America and around the world. Studying at the University of California at Berkeley during the 1960's, he explored ceramics and was introduced to glassblowing.

Unsatisfied by the limited techniques practiced in American studio glass at that time, Marquis went to the island of Murano, near Venice, to observe and work with the masters of a glassblowing tradition acknowledged as the best in the world.

Freely sharing his knowledge of the techniques he learned in Venice, Marquis has demonstrated and taught throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand...

As an artist, Marquis is admired for his sophisticated understanding of color and form as much as for his humor and willingness to experiment.

As a glassblower, he has influenced an entire generation of artists working in glass who aspire to his technical mastery and the originality of his voice."


Seth Randal glass bookSeth Randal: Myth and Majesty - by Jo Lauria






Libensky Brychtova glass bookThe Inner Light: Sculpture by Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova - by Robert Kehlmann





Einar and Jamex de la TorreEinar And Jamex De La Torre: Intersecting Time & Place







Rene Lalique glass bookThe Art of René Lalique - by Patricia Bayer and Mark Waller. Foreword by Marie-Claude Lalique

Beginning as a jeweler, Lalique achieved success as a major name in the Art Nouveau style. He began experimenting with glass near the end of the 19th century, seeking a material to make his creations available to a wider audience. Over the next half century, his "experiments" produced an incredible body of work that has earned him credit as "the pioneer of the Age of Glass".

More than 350 color photographs

This beautiful, large (9 1/2 by 13 inches) book discusses "The Man, The Jewelry, his Experiments With Glass, The Techniques, The Exhibitions, The Flacons and Powder Boxes, Boxes and Desk Accessories, Sculpture, Decorative Furnishings, Vases and Tableware, Architectural Work", and more. Gorgeous!


LALIQUE GLASS - by Nicholas M. Dawes

"Lalique Glass is a lavishly illustrated and comprehensive examination of the stunning art of the Lalique family dynasty. Nicholas Dawes, ...a specialist in nineteenth and twentieth century glass and ceramics, traces the techniques, innovations, influences, and inspirations of the Lalique artists from the turn of the century to today.

The splendor of their work - garnitures de toilette, ashtrays, writing desk accessories, clocks, automobile mascots, vases, statuary, figural seals, perfume bottles and stoppers, lighting fixtures, decorative panels, and glass jewelry - is amply illustrated with 139 full-color and 120 black and white photographs...

Dawes also includes a chapter of advice for collectors, pointing out how to avoid defects, fakes, and forgeries. A glossary of terms and an annotated bibliography complete this... invaluable addition to any collector's library."


Lalique Glass: The Complete Illustrated Catalog for 1932 Rene Lalique

A Dover republication of a rare original edition owned by the Corning Museum of Glass.


Baccarat glass bookBaccarat






Venini glass bookVenini Glass: 1921-1986








John La Farge - by Henry Adams


Paul Ysart


The Jerusalem Windows - Marc Chagall


Chagall Jerusalem stained glass windows postcard bookJerusalem Windows Postcard Book: 24 Full-Color Cards (Card Books)






Chagall stained glass coloring bookChagall Stained Glass Coloring Book






Visual art in glass (Art horizons series) - by Dominick Labino


Klaus Moje: Glass: a retrospective exhibition = glas: eine retrospektive by Geoffrey Edwards


Marvin Lipofsky: A Glass Odyssey


Lino Tagliapietra: Vetri Glass Verres Glas





Lotton Art Glass - by D. Thomas O'Connor, Charles G. Lotton

Josh Simpson: Glass Artist by Andrew Chaikin, Michael W. Monroe


Dante Marioni: Blown Glass by Tina Oldknow, Joseph Marioni (Introduction), Edward R. Quick, Russell Johnson (Contributor), Roger Schreiber (Contributor)


Stained Glass From Mind to Light: An Inquiry Into the Nature of the Medium - by Narcissus Quagliata

Narcissus Quagliata - Painting With Light - by Kenneth R. Trapp 


James Hubbell's Palace Doors of Abu Dhabi - by Otto Rigan

"Artist James Hubbell was commissioned by an Arabian Sheikh to design and build eighteen doors for his home-palace in the United Arab Emirates. In only six months, Hubbell and his assistants created what is considered his masterwork.

This richly illustrated book - with ninety-six pages of color - tells the story of the Doors and their creation, as well as visually documenting the magnificent finished works.

The introductory essay by the author and photographer Otto B. Rigan first relates to the reader as a story teller and second as critic: telling of the commission's development and then assessing the Doors' incomparable value as a work of art."

Page after page of wonderful images of the sculptured doors and their incredibly complex stained glass elements. Loads of detail photos showing glass jewels, bevels, engraved and painted details, hand-blown doorknobs, etc.

A real inspiration to any glass artist or collector!


Ludwig Moser, King of Glass - by Mural K. Charon

Moser, Artistry in Glass 1857-1938 - by Gary Baldwin

Glass of John Walsh Walsh  The Glass of John Walsh Walsh - by Eric Reynolds



THE GLASS OF FREDERICK CARDER - by Paul V. Gardner

"...The Glass of Frederick Carder is the definitive story of one of the most talented men in the history of glassmaking, the distinguished founder of the Steuben Glass Works.

Described in complete detail and pictured in thirty-two pages of color and hundreds of black-and-white photographs and drawings are all the special types of glass for which Carder was so justly famed:

Iridescent Aurene in all its rich shades, Tyrian, Verre de Soie, Cyprian, Ivrene, Cintra, Cluthra, Intarsia, Diatreta, and many others, most of which - though imitated - have never been duplicated.

The author not only served as Carder's assistant for a decade, but remained a devoted friend for thirty years, and so is uniquely qualified to tell the Carder story and explain his methods and techniques.

Exhaustive research has enabled Mr. Gardner also to list not only all the varied colors Carder used but the names of the scores of patterns in which his glass was engraved, cut, or etched.

Of particular interest to the sophisticated collector will be the chapter telling of Carder's rediscovery of the lost wax process, and the reproduction of the various Steuben trademarks and Carder's signatures.

This fascinating, fact-filled account is further enriched with nearly three hundred black-and-white photographs of the great glassman and of specimens of his work.

Approximately seven thousand line drawings from the Steuben catalogs, along with their identifying numbers, will be especially useful in detecting forgeries.

A superlative reference work for collectors, dealers, artists, historians, and anyone interested in antiques and dedicated craftsmanship, The Glass of Frederick Carder is the complete guide to the creative output of this remarkable man who devoted eighty years to experimenting with and making superb glass.

Paul V. Gardner is the Curator-in-Charge of the division of Ceramics and Glass at the Smithsonian Institution. In the late 1920's he went to work as Frederick Carder's assistant and worked closely with him for twelve years. He compiled this book with the cooperation of Paul N. Perrot, director of the Corning Museum of Glass, and throughout has had the help of the Corning Museum and the Smithsonian."


Frederick Carder and his Steuben glass, 1903-1933


Brilliance in Glass: The Lost Wax glass Sculpture of Frederick Carder


Frederick Carder: Portrait of a Glassmaker


The Corning Museum of Glass The Corning Museum of Glass: A Decade of Glass Collecting 1990-1999


The Glass Giant of Palomar - by David Oakes Woodbury

The incredible story of the creation of the largest glass casting ever made - the mirror for the observatory at Palomar.


Artists at Work: Twenty-Five Glassmakers, Ceramists, and Jewelers - by Biskeborn


Caithness Paperweights  Caithness Paperweights


The Brilliance of Swedish Glass, 1918-1939: An Alliance of Art and Industry by Anne-Marie Ericsson (Editor), Nina Stritzler-Levine (Editor), Derek E. Ostergard


Gunnel Sahlin Kosta Boda glass bookGunnel Sahlin & Kosta Boda - by Ralf Turander, Claes Britton, and Tom Rafstedt

Published by TÅG Publishing, Stockholm, 2000. 175 pages, softbound. 9 1/2 by 11 3/8 inches.

With color and black & white photographs on almost every page!

"Gunnel Sahlin had been a designer for Kosta Boda for 12 years when she was appointed Sweden's first professor of glass design at Konstfack college in Stockholm, in 1999.

This book is about Gunnel Sahlin, her glass design, and the glassworks and glass-blowers who have made her ideas and visions come true."


Bertil Vallien: Somna/Vakna - by Matthew Kangas

Swedish glass sculptor Bertil Vallien's most recent body of work, Somna Vakna (Sleeping/Waking), is the culmination of a 30-year career that has remarkably close ties to American art. This first book-length study to be readily available in the U.S. sets the art of Bertil Vallien in the context of both American art of the 1960s and postwar European existentialist/humanist cultural and artistic strains.

Matthew Kangas examines how the artist's cast-glass abstract and representational forms alternately epitomize and transcend their original cultural context of production, the Swedish glass factory Kosta Boda, where Vallien has worked since 1969. Lavishly illustrated and beautifully designed, this book is a must for contemporary glass collectors and others who follow Scandinavian art, figurative sculpture, and new approaches to traditional materials and processes.


Orrefors Swedish glass bookOrrefors: A Century of Swedish Glassmaking - by Jan Brunius, Gunnel Holmér, Gillian Naylor, Derek E. Ostergard, Helmut Ricke, Ulrika Ruding, Jonathan Sweet, Kerstin Wickman, and Dag Widman

Kersten Wickman, editor

"It started with the manufacture of jam jars and ink bottles at a former ironworks in the forests of Smäland. From these beginnings, forward-looking management bult a world-famous art glassworks of sweeping scope - from grand showpieces to everyday ware. To this end, they took on artists and secured the finest craftspeople.

With the Paris Exposition of 1925 came international acclaim. The engraved glass in particular, and utilitarian ware too, captured the imagination of the world, coming to symbolise more beautiful everyday objects and Swedish Grace. Today, glass signed by Edward Hald and Simon Gate has a special attraction for collectors the world over.

In this volume, the tale of Orrefors is told by a variety of commentators:

Dag Widman and Jan Brunius each describe a half century of glass art, from 1898 to 1998 - Orrefors' centenary jubilee. It is a tale of intense artistic questing and innovation, of fascinating meetings between technology and art.

Gunnel Holmér describes the craft of the blowing room and shops: the gatherers, the gaffers, the pots and the tank furnaces...

Four internationally renowned glass experts approach Orrefors' history from diverse viewpoints:

  • Helmut Ricke looks at Orrefors in Central Europe
  • Gillian Nayolor - in Great Britain and Ireland
  • Derek Ostergard - in the USA
  • Jonathan Sweet - in Australia

Ulrika Ruding has put together a unique compendium of signatures, designers and techniques at Orrefors - a reference work in itself.

Denise Grünstein took photographs in and around Orrefors, seeking to capture the spirit of the place. Vince Rechardt interpreted the play of form and light in the glass in a series of studio images. Their photographs complement a rich lode of images from Orrefors' archives.


Orrefors glass bookOrrefors Glass







Artists in glass twentieth century masters bookArtists in Glass: Late Twentieth Century Masters in Glass






Visual Art in Glass - by Dominick Labino


Josef Albers: Glass Color and Light


Sottsass: Glass Works - Edited by Marino Barovier, Bruno Bischofberger, Milco Carboni

Ettore Sottsass, one of the most famous of Italian designers, has experimented many times with glass as a production material.

Trained in architecture, he had already designed ceramics for quite a number of years before he first created designs for glass in 1947. Not a glass worker himself, Sottsass brings a fresh approach to glass design, unhampered by "knowledge" of what is or is not possible to make in glass.

The founder of the "Memphis" design group, Sottsass imparts to all of his work a contemporary, avant garde feeling.

This book presents Sottsass' career in its entirety, from his first Solitario vase in the 1940's to his newest collection.

This huge book consists almost entirely of full-page color illustrations of sketches, designs, and finished glass works. Includes an introductory statement by the artist, biographical notes, a listing of Museums & Galleries showing his work, a list of the glass works shown in the book with details on each piece, a list of the drawings (also with details), and a bibliography.


Out of the Fire: Contemporary Glass Artists and Their Work - by Bonnie Miller


Murano Glass  Murano Glass: Themes and Variations (1910-1970) - by Marc Heiremans


Fratelli Toso Glass  Fratelli Toso Italian Glass 1854-1980 - by Leslie Pina

Venetian Art Glass  Venetian Art Glass: An American Collection 1840-1970  - by Marino Barovier

Animals in Glass: a Murano Bestiary - by Marina Barovier

Venetian Glass: Confections in Glass 1855-1914 - by Sheldon Barr, John Bigelow Taylor (Photographer)


Frank Lloyd Wright's Stained Glass  Frank Lloyd Wright's Stained Glass & Lightscreens - by Thomas A. Heinz

Light Screens of Frank Lloyd Wright  Light Screens: The Leaded Glass of Frank Lloyd Wright - by Julie Sloan



Pilchuck: A Glass School by Tina Oldknow

"Dale Chihuly's Hippie Commune begets Studio Glass Movement."

Pilchuck Glass School is the place where every artist who works in glass comes to take or teach a summer class (2 1/2 weeks). It's the glass art world's seat of power where craft process is shared, artists go to refresh themselves (located on 40 acres of land amidst thousands of acres of tree farm overlooking the most spectacular vista including the waterway from Seattle to Alaska it's hard not to get in touch with your soul), and it's the place where artists return each summer just to be with each other. This is a very special place.

Dale Chihuly started Pilchuck one summer more than 25 years ago when he was teaching at RISD. He thought it would be fun to go west and blow glass...there was no Studio Glass Movement and, as you will read when you buy this fabulous book, there wasn't much of anything but the extrodinary spirit of a group of very special people.

Pilchuck has grown to be one of the world's most important arts institutions with a Board of Trustees that "gets it".

Tina Oldknow has written an easy to read "page turner" that's a scholarly work (she conducted more than 150 interviews in two years of thorough research for this book) while its picture filled format (gorgeous color photographs of art made from glass as well as historic photos of the artists and their art) makes it easy to understand for those who don't really like to read art books. This is a don't miss read for anyone interested in art or in the social history of the 70's, 80's and early 90's.


Clearly inspired glass bookClearly Inspired: Contemporary Glass and Its Origins - By Karen S. Chambers and Tina Oldknow
Published in conjunction with the exhibition of the same name, curated by Karen S. Chambers for the Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa FL.

"Clearly Inspired focuses on contemporary artists who use the glassworking techniques of antiquity - in some cases, after having rediscovered or reinvented lost processes...

... contrasts the work of contemporary artists working in glass with examples of earlier glass that have inspired them to replicate forgotten techniques and to explore the formal or conceptual concerns that fascinated their artistic antecedents.

Historical works illustrating the sources of inspiration are drawn from museum collections such as those of the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA; New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH; and the Rockwell Museum, Corning, NY.


How many more artists working in glass can you find? Use the search box to find out.

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Copyright ©2011 Fledgling Studio and John R. Cumbow

updated June 2011