Fragile Globe
22" x 12" x 12"- fused and slumped glass in wire matrix with found cast base, gilded.
An experimental piece exploring the use of slumped glass. I found the cast base at a flea market and it laid around the studio for years. One day I received a sample pack of fusible compatible glass with all these fantastic colors. I made a mold from a 12" beach ball that fit perfectly into the base. I hand cut the countries and states with a glass cutter, fused them flat in the kiln, then slumped them into the ball mold. The copper wire framework developed as I looked for ways to hold all the elements into their proper location. The wire is formed into the shapes of hands holding the continents in place with curls of wire depicting air currents filling in the negative spaces.