OUT OF THE MOLD
“We use architectural drawings to initiate, explore, develop, and communicate design ideas. No one drawing can ever reveal everything about its subject. Each pictorial system of representation provides an alternative way of thinking about and representing what we see before us or envision in the mind’s eye.” – Francis D. K. Ching, Architectural Graphics
Wheaton Arts in Millville, NJ has hundreds of these glass molds. Each was designed for a specific process to create a specific product. In some cases, glass was blown into the mold, in others it was poured and then pressed by a machine. In both cases, the mold’s intricate interior shaped the molten glass into its final form. While these particular molds are no longer regularly used in commercial production, they are invaluable records of highly refined processes and fascinating counterparts to glass objects in the Wheaton Glass Museum’s collection.
These molds are historical artifacts, but they are also works of art in and of themselves.
They contain fascinating geometric and aesthetic relationships. They reveal layer upon layer of intricate craft and artistry. Once translated into a visual language and recreated in a virtual medium, different aspects of these molds can easily be manipulated and extrapolated to become the basis for new works of art.
