Silicate glass: a portrait in material

Abstract

The article is devoted to handling transparent silicate glass by glass fusing and preserving the graphic concept of the design project in the material. The study aims to obtain a collection of creative artworks in the material on the "Portrait" topic, ready for exposition. Since the training took place in a remote form, a material replacement technique was used to perform the artwork. This pedagogical method helps make a task achievable by applying a simpler solution; e.g., silicate glass was used instead of clay, terracotta or industrial porcelain. Background research in the field of a portrait, an assessment of work with nature, samples prepared in silicate glass comprise the stages on the way from a linear drawing to a material. The design part of the project is based on a graphical approach. Working with silicate glass is based on the hot-cold work, namely, sintering or fusing. The incorporation of metal elements in the body of the sintered panel picture was performed experimentally. For an image in material, we used equipment of ceramics workshops, including an electric marble furnace. Photographic material supports the step-by-step method. This research resulted not only in a collection of student artworks ready for exhibition on the "Portrait" topic but also in the proprietary method of graphic work with silicate glass. The obtained artworks took part in an international student exhibiting competitions in 2021. Professional exhibitions should be the result of the development of students works in the long term. In conclusion, a number of proposals are made on the further use of silicate glass for creative educational work in the field of design.