Lucie Boucher and Bernie Huebner of Stone Ridge Glass are the creators of Glasscapes, stunning three dimensional sculptures made of layers of colored glass. Many of the works are interactive, meaning that the glass layers can be rearranged to take on completely different scenes. For the seascape piece above, called Ocean Laughter II, the glass pieces each represent a separate wave. They can be arranged to look like a restless ocean or a harmonious work of geometric art.
The glass pieces are hand-cut or sawn, ground, and painted with specialized pigments. Then, they’re fused or fire-polished in an electric glass kiln. To give the illusion that each landscape is floating in space, a dark hardwood base is used as a stand.
Each of the pieces is illuminated by a light that’s at the rear of the hardwood base. The light reflects off the wall behind it giving the sculptures an ethereal glow.
By successively layering pieces of colored glass, the artists create unique three dimensional sculptures. Michael Monroe, a leading authority on American art glass and the former curator-in-charge at the Smithsonian Museum’s Renwick Gallery stated about Cathedral Dusk (the piece immediately below) , “Using flat sheets of kiln-polished glass in layers separated by space, Huebner and Boucher’s Cathedral Series of sculptures perfectly captures the subtle shading and layering effect of fog-shrouded mountain ranges. The internal lighting further adds mystery and drama to this peaceful landscape.”
