Sculpting Light

  • Three transparent glass forms with cork bases set beside each other against a gray backdrop. Light shining through the glass projects patterns on the backdrop.
  • Transparent blown glass bulb with rippled surface and cylindrical cork base set against gray backdrop.
  • Light shining through a transparent, balloon-like, blown glass and cork sculpture, projecting rippling light onto a gray backdrop.
  • Light shining down onto blown glass and cork sculpture, projecting wavey rings of light onto the table
  • Organically-shaped blown glass lamp with obround cork base and curled-up light filament inside the glass. Set against gray backdrop.
  • Organically-shaped blown glass lamp with obround cork base and curled LED filament lighting the glass from inside.
  • Light shining projected through an organically-formed glass and cork sculpture, projecting wisps and spots of light onto the backdrop.
  • Light shining down onto organically-formed glass and cork sculpture and projecting wisps of light onto the table
  • Blown glass bulb with twisted ridges resting on a circular cork sheet against a gray backdrop.
  • Light shining through a glass form with spiraling fluted texture, projecting a regular pattern of curves onto a gray backdrop.

Created as part of Form to Fire, an educational experience jointly run by instructors from MassArt and Olin College of Engineering with the goal of integrating traditional glass working techniques and digital fabrication processes, ‘Sculpting Light’ is a collection of handblown glass forms with machined cork bases that stand on their own as sculptures while also acting as tools for ‘sculpting’ light. Throughout the semester, I experimented with different glass working techniques to result in forms of varying texture and thickness that, when illuminated, act as lenses to focus light and project patterns onto other surfaces. In addition to using glass as a lens to project light, I also explored using LED filaments and creating wire support structures to ‘sculpt’ the light source itself.

Demo Video

Process Book