Introduction: Glass Now (01:41)

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This video will profile the eight finalists for the Jerwood Applied Arts Prize in 2003. Top glass blowers combine cutting edge technology with traditional skills.

Colin Rennie (05:51)

Hot glass is alive and provides feedback. Glassblowers should draw inspiration from fine arts and sculpture. Rennie likes to create pieces where tension exists between the organic and the mechanical.

Angela Jarman (06:07)

Jarman describes her transition from making work that is intrinsically disgusting to emphasizing mutations and genetic modification. Cracks in the glass can be the fault of the glass or from the caster's manipulation. Jarman uses black glass to highlight the internal texture of a piece.

Katharine Coleman (06:14)

Glass engraving is an intimate and private art. Coleman describes her interest in optical illusions and how her work become increasingly abstract. She uses carborundum grit, oil, and paraffin as the cutting medium.

Matthew Durran (07:03)

Glass should create unexpected things. Durran discusses being inspired by a colleague's work deconstructing Francis Bacon's studio. Equipment can sometimes dictate the completed piece.

Alexander Beleschenko (07:37)

Beleschenko describes how commissions vary and his creative process. Architectural glass is dependent on the whims of a building's inhabitants. A plotter cuts out a mask to be applied to the glass.

Helen Maurer (07:43)

Maurer gathers inspiration from collected images and looks for common themes. Antique glass can appear streaky and have more texture. "Under Wood Over Head" draws upon memories of coastal areas from her childhood.

Koichiro Yamamoto (06:52)

Yamamoto describes how he transitioned from industrial design to glass casting and his creative process. His work does not have a function but looks functional. The artist prefers transparent glass without color.

Amber Hiscott (06:20)

Hiscott never repeats herself; she lives in Wales. It is difficult for viewers not to notice a piece of art that affects the space. Hiscott achieves incredible colors by placing mouth-blown glass in layers.

Credits: Glass Now (00:23)

Credits: Glass Now