THE PROCESS

Making art for architectural installations is about understanding the needs and desires of those who will be viewing and living with the artwork. Having the artwork relate to its surroundings, the architecture and the vibrational mood of the setting is also crucial.

The materials one chooses for their medium should reflect not only the atmosphere of the building, but also the style of the times, and the energy of the surrounding environment being served.

I use glass as my medium for its extreme versatility and magical qualities. Glass can exhibit emotions through its transparency or translucence. It can also become opaque and utilize reflective qualities unlike any other substance. Glass can hide and reappear, playing with the light and our perceptions. No other medium can show us a sense of depth, literally and metaphorically, as can glass.

Using glass as an architectural medium is for me about enhancing an environment, by helping to create an atmosphere suited to the purposes and functions of the space, while adding a unique and living element. As we are living creatures, moving and perceiving things in new light, glass also has the ability to draw us in and show us different aspects of itself. Embracing the myriad qualities in glass, one is able to bring light into a room that dances, or soothes, or even heals. Light passing through a beautiful transparent glass can bring more light into the room than exists even on an overcast day. Though we can control many aspects of an effect through artificial lighting, we can also allow the qualities of the glass to have a life of its own when interacting with natural light. And this most definitely includes the changes that occur when the sun goes down!

As a reflective surface, (i.e. walls, floors) glass can energize a room unlike any other medium. Because of its ability to be manipulated into practically any form, its range and subtleties of colors, its sense of depth, and its strength and ease of maintenance, glass becomes a material in a class all its own.

Working with people to help realize a dream or a larger experience in their environment is one of my greatest pleasures. Working with the medium that I know and love best and combining it with the architectural elements and other media that go into an architectural project is a thrill and the physical challenge that drives me. By putting artwork into a setting that has a purpose and can calm, inspire, and motivate I know that I am doing what I'm here to do.

Roger Nachman Glassworks | Seattle, WA | 206.706.2588

©Roger Nachman Glassworks