Journal

With great pride and passion we present the process of our Liquid Collection. The test work required to sample the pieces all takes place in a central London-based workshop. This work is undertaken by an artisan and master glassblower with 25 years of experience, allowing us to experiment, observe and collaborate together.

The process is magical, with glass being made from the highest quality granular silica and brought to melt right here in London’s cobbled old streets. We are grateful for the artisan workshops still operational in the city to this present day, as so many move away to more distant locations.

The glass is poured into the furnace overnight and is heated to an exact temperature. The glassblower takes his tool, pinches a portion and gradually blows in air with precision. It takes years of experience for this process to work smoothly. What follows can best be described as a dance, where the artisan moves back and forth from fire to bench as if following a rhythm.

The most fascinating aspect to this is the inevitable relationship with the material. One is completely submissive to the matter. Pushed too far and the glass will crack, not cooperate or take on a life of its own.

It is precisely this beautiful process we wish to illustrate. Whilst perceived to many as inanimate, this material will respond, correspond and very much dictate what possible outcomes there will be. We begin our collection with a ‘simple’ plate, smooth colour gradients, subtle and intentional dents. In collections to follow we will manipulate further and see what will ‘result’ out of this ongoing relationship with glass and maker, those design ideas planned and those which are accidental.

Credits:
We thank Louis Thompson for participating in this film, shot and edited by Kennan Lam, directed by Eva Menz.