IZUMI YANO
"Skyscapes"

2022 | Design : Izumi Yano | Glassmaker： Peter Kuchinke, Torsten Rötzsch
Scope : Semester project | Dueration : 5 monthes (2021/10-02) | Tools : Illustrator / Fresco

The look of the sky is ephemeral. An always fluent interference of light, air, humidity, never standing still. Molten glass is in a similar movement. When you apply coloured powder, the colour flows on it like clouds. Eventually the movement stops, and the fluid glass gets solid, capturing a frozen moment. But in our imagination the movement is still there.

The colours and shapes of these glass objects are related to a series of photographs, exemplifying the countless light-colour combinations in the sky. Each glass design is matching with one specific light situation. The organic yet abstract body becomes image carrier, its glassy surface a 3-dimensional screen, both amplifying and virtualizing the perception.

Background

I took 76 parallel series of the sky’s photos from my place in Japan, when I like the sky. Even if I take pictures of the sky in same place, the color of the sky, lights and shape of clouds are different every day and every moment.

Research question

How can i translate the sky into glass?

Color selecting

I used adobe coolor to create a color chart from a photo of the sky.

Prototypes

I made these prototypes to learn how to put color on glass. I colored them with glass powder and used molds to shape them. I found it difficult to adjust the position of the glass powder when using molds.

Sketches and clay models

I made sketches to determine the shape of the glass. The shape was derived from the color of the sky, the shape of the clouds, and the impression I got from them. To determine a more detailed shape, I made a small model using clay. These models helped me to communicate the shapes to the glassmakers.

Sketches and cray models

I made sketches to determine the shape of the glass. The shape was derived from the color of the sky, the shape of the clouds, and the impression I got from them. To determine a more detailed shape, I made a small model using clay. These models helped me to communicate the shapes to the glassmakers.