The Design of Stained Glass
The Design of Stained Glass
The Design of Stained Glass
There are things to consider when designing a work for a purpose. Here I will cover the basic elements of design, such as the actual structure of the building, light, and lines.
Stained glass is commonly referred to as monumental' art because of its scale. It is usually associated with large buildings, such as a cathedral, and was often sponsored as special projects by the state and the church. Thus, in certain ways it conveys authority and majesty, yet has to relate to humans to serve its purpose of making that majesty understandable.
However, one thing to keep in mind is that a great work of art should not be confused with the greatness or profundity of its subject. For instance, many stained glass works portray Christian saints. While saints may be representatives of greatness, not all works representing them are great. This is just the same as the simple truth that not all paintings depicting the king of a state are great. Hence the subject matter, while it may be critical for the sponsors, is not the factor that makes artworks great.
After considering the purpose of the design, the first thing that the artist must consider is the environment in which the stained glass work will be held. External physical conditions are always imposed; the size of the glass area, the sunlight, etc. Scale and color are some important factors in the design.
Most of the time, the artist cannot control all aspects of such external factors. Usually there are architects, safety experts, and other interested parties who take control. Hence one of the abilities that distinguish a good stained glass artist is his creativity in integrating those uncontrollable factors.
The basic building blocks for design are lines. Lines are an indispensable part of stained glass; windows are formed through lines, and would not exist without such lines. Any stained glass is held in a frame by definition. In the past, linear divisions within huge windows were needed to support the weight of the building, and were thus organic. However, today thanks to the development of technology, artists are free to experiment with various placements of lines, being less cluttered by smaller frames.
Asymmetrical placing of the glazing bars may be there for functional purposes, but also can create special effects by throwing off' spectators from traditional shaped windows.
Color is also important and especially interesting because of its interaction and play with light.
Sometimes, even though the glass used is already colored, the artist will put on paint on it. In fact, stained glass without the use of paint in some way is very rare. From the earliest times in the Middle Ages, details such as the face of a person or folds on clothes were painted using a brush.
To keep the pigment on the glass permanently, it should be fixed by fusion at a low temperature.
Like this, the artist has to take multiple factors into consideration when coming up with a design.
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