COLOUR glass and you have “Stained Glass”.

Arrange pieces of stained glass in such a way to form a picture or pattern and you have “Art Glass”.

The origins of staining glass are lost in history and probably emerged with the making of jewellery.

Glass was thought to have magical qualities, being a matter with gas, liquid and solid state properties.

Made from the most ordinary of substances: sand and transformed by fire.

By adding metallic salts and oxides such as gold, silver, cobalt and copper the glass captures portions of the spectrum and takes on a glow from within.

It’s this heavenly glow that explains its wide use in churches from about the tenth century.

Stained glass allows light to enter a building but at the same time prevents the people inside from looking out thus creating an atmosphere of reflective sanctuary.

Theophilus, a monk wrote a how to for craftsmen about 1100 and the methods have little changed to this day.

“If you want to assemble simple windows, first mark out the dimensions of their length and breadth on a wooden board, then draw scroll work or anything else that pleases you, and select colours that are to be put in. Cut the glass and fit the pieces together with the grozing iron. Enclose them with lead cames…and solder on both sides. Surround it with a wooden frame strengthened with mails and set it up in the place where you wish.”

Art Glass has evolved to include both pictorial and abstract representations and can be seen not only in churches but also hotels, public buildings and even private homes.

St Johns church at Adaminaby boasts several fine examples of windows decorated with art glass to create an atmosphere of reflective contemplation

Start keeping an eye out for Art Glass work and you’ll be surprised to see where it appears and the variety of styles.

If you ever find yourself in Cairns I can recommend a visit to St Monica’s Cathedral.   The Art Glass windows here are spectacular and modern (2000) depicting The Creation with an exploded supernova to the formation of the earth, the arrival of humans and development of Queensland landmarks. There is also a reproduction of an image of the Eagle Nebula- taken by the Hubble telescope.  

To see past ART ZONES visit www.pauldion.com.