Photograph by Constance Mensch.
When we think of deindustrialization in America, we don’t necessarily call ornamental glass to mind. Yet this was once a thriving factory-based craft, which produced huge amounts of tableware, figurines, and other goods for an eager market. Amber Cowan mines this history, sourcing her raw material from flea markets, thrift stores, and decades-old heaps of cullet (waste glass) from the Pennsylvania glass industry. She composes her findings into grotto-like vignettes, building miniature fantasy worlds around them.
One of the most beguiling aspects of Cowan’s work is that it is difficult to discern what is an intact found object, and what is melted down and remade by her own hands. Her lampworking and blowing skills are equal to any from the past, and she collages her elements together seamlessly, staging an imaginative conversation with tradition and precedent.
Bubble Bath in the Tunnel of Love in glass and mixed media. Designed and made by Amber Cowan, USA, 2020.
25” L x 25” W x 15” H
63.5cm L x 63.5cm W x 38.1cm H
SG2301
Courtesy of Heller Gallery