Presentation on practical monumental layered glass art-making by glass artist Ernest Vitin

Glass artist and founder of Glasstone Monuments brand Ernest Vitin talks about the process of making monumental glass art: how to make a layered aka stacked glass sculpture and what factors to take into account.

The presentation "Principal factors for creating durable monumental layered glass sculptures and design objects in the author's technique" was given at the Art Academy of Latvia during the 2nd International Scientific Conference 2022 on the 16th of June 2022.

This paper describes the principal factors of creating monumental layered aka stacked glass sculptures and design objects based on the author's 11 years of experience in the field. The focus is on the empirically discovered creative and technical solutions that give the artworks distinctive handwriting, long-term visual consistency and structural durability in both indoor and outdoor conditions.

The monumental layered glass is a sculptural medium that has not been sufficiently studied from either the technical or the wide range of artistic possibilities. No technical guidelines for achieving pre-defined artistic goals have yet been developed and published. The development and endurance of monumental layered glass objects are entirely associated with progress in adhesive and sheet glass manufacturing. The necessary quality materials have been available only in recent decades. In the Western world, there are just a few artists whose work is entirely related to the monumental layered glass: Danny Lane, Bert Van Loo, Henry Richardson, Costas Vorotsos, and Jeremy Langford. A closer look at the works of these artists reveals differences in the technical solutions that affect the optical properties of the glass stack and its interaction with the environment. On the outside, from perfectly smooth, transparent, to dark, rough, dull - layered glass offers a vast range of opportunities for the artist to carry out his creative idea.

The primary emphasis is on the technical preconditions for a) creating a character in monumental layered glass objects and b) preserving long-term visual and technical quality under weather conditions. In addition, the influence of the vision, specifics of the installation space and the user's needs on the artistic expression are explained. Finally, the 3D modelling program Cinema 4D and its possibilities in object construction are considered. Creating a monumental layered glass sculpture is psychologically and physically demanding. The defining aspect of quality is the ability to delve into the most delicate nuances of material processing. When cutting irregular shapes from glass sheets and then glueing them to create large-format objects, it is of utmost importance to master the sense of the material and tools and observe and record the development process with the utmost care.
In conclusion, the artist has a vast opportunity to materialize his vision by learning to handle glass sheets - methods of cutting them - and strictly adhering to the prerequisites of the glueing phases. Skills in 3D modelling programs are beneficial when creating larger pieces allowing the calculation of the mass of irregular objects. From an artistic point of view, 3D is beneficial in creating transparent designs. Cooperation with professionals in the fields of physics and civil engineering is essential in the development of highly complex engineering solutions.

About the artist: Ernests Vītiņš (1984) is a Latvian glass artist specializing in monumental sheet glass stacking, aka layered glass technique. It is a cold glass processing technique that has not been sufficiently researched, and the methods of which are poorly documented, creating a gap in the availability of information and the applicability of the technique, despite its useful application in making monumental art. Ernest has participated in several international group exhibitions in Latvia and Europe. He has also held three solo exhibitions and one live performance. With his solo exhibition "Within the glass Labyrinth", he won a national award ", Kilogram of Culture 2019", in the visual arts category. In addition, he has been nominated several times for the annual Latvian Academy of Arts award. Furthermore, together with his team, he has created the largest ensemble of glass art in the Baltics - "In Nature", located in the foyer of the Nature House of the Academic Center of the University of Latvia. Currently, he is striving to improve the quality of the monumental layered glass technique, planning new exhibitions and an extensive publication on the technique.

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