Out of the Fire

Freelance writer Miller introduces 30 contemporary artists in a volume that suggests the versatility of glass and engenders curiosity about glassworkers' techniques. She describes the glass artists' community in the Pacific Northwest and records brief statements by the artists; freelance photographer Lyons's color portraits of the individuals and their work illustrate the text. Sonja Blomdahl, who makes symmetrical vessels, Dante Marioni, whose goblets are featured, and Benjamin Moore, who creates lamps, have mastered the art of glass-blowing. Others take the medium in other directions: several employ cast glass in multimedia sculpture, some explore political and personal issues by painting on glass surfaces. Ruth Brockman decorates her intricate, spiritually oriented creations with brightly colored enamels; Richard LaLonde crushes and fuses glass to make vibrant mosaics. This dazzling sampler bears witness to glass's creative applications beyond both the functional and the decorative. (Nov.)