The Union of Steel and Glass


May 26, 2017

(US) Vitreluxe, the contemporary design-driven glass studio based in Portland OR, introduced a new series of lighting at ICFF, May 21-24th, available through retailers, interior designers, hospitality and contract specifiers beginning June 2017.

Founded by Award winning artist, designer, craftsmen and educator, Lynn Everett Read in 1999 with the desire to build an advanced glass studio with some unique alterations to allow for versatility and efficiency.

Lynn’s early pursuit in watercolour paved the way to an interest in glass because of its transparency of colour, optical intrigue, malleability and material versatility. His creative spirit and passion for glass has intensified since his first apprenticeship in a glassblowing studio.

A diverse artistic background ranging from painting, sculpture, woodworking and theatrical set-building continues to play an important role in Lynn’s inventive approach to glass working.

Read utilises soda-lime glass, which allows for a long, steady working time. Unlike bottle glass, the formula lets the artist alter the shape and maintain the heat long enough to painstakingly create the objects.

“The physical element of glassblowing is dynamic and requires choreography. It’s a studied meditation and a dress rehearsal,” explains Read.

‘We move through the studio as a group from the furnace, where we gather molten glass at 2150 degrees, to our workbench, where we shape the glass with hand tools to achieve the desired volume, thickness and form. We work steadily from start to finish as if in scenes of a play. We can’t stop to break; we must keep the glass hot and moving until the finality.”

www.vitreluxe.com