The end of the 70's and into the decade of the 80's led me to the construction of 2 dimensional wall pieces. My process in constructing the first few panels was to blow a decorated cylinder of glass which was then opened into a flat sheet. The sheet was then copper foiled into a sheet of grey plate glass that had the blown sheet dimension sandblasted out. I eventually discovered a glass called Vitrolite. Vitrolite is a very colorful opaque sheet glass that had been manufactured by Libbey Glass and was used for store fronts, bathroom walls, service stations and a host of other applications. Its manufacture ceased in 1954. I obtained a large quantity of this glass in a myriad of colors and began to incorporate large pieces of it into my glass wall collages. I produced a good number of these Vitrolite panels and they were met with great success. In 1982, one of these wall pieces was featured in the LIFE magazine article about five American glass artists.
The work shown below is a good example of the work I produced from the first blown sheet panels and into the Vitrolite works.

First Panels

For a slide show of the images below click on the image.

Panels 1978

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Title: Drifting - Media: Grey plate glass, blown and flattened cylinder, sand blasting
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Blown and flattened Center panel of “Drifting” panel
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Title: Distant Drift - Media: Grey plate glass, blown and flattened cylinder, sand blasting
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Title: Sequence - Media: White plate glass, blown and flattened cylinder, sand blasting
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Blown and flattened Center panel of “Sequence” panel

Vitrolite Wall Panels

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Title: Red Square - Media: Vitrolite glass, sandblasting
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Title: Red Contained - Media: Vitrolite glass, sandblasting
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Title: Sea Scape - Media: Vitrolite glass, sandblasting Collection: High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
Stacks Image 6527
Title: Red Tea Pot - Media: Vitrolite glass, sandblasting, vitreous enamels
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Title: Construct - Media: Vitrolite glass, sandblasting Collection: Toledo Museum of Art
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Title: Four Corners - Media: Vitrolite glass, sandblasting
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Title: Portrait - Media: Vitrolite glass, sandblasting, acid treatment - Collection, Libensky/Brychtova
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Title: Forward Tilt - Media: Vitrolite glass, sandblasting, acid treated plate glass, aluminum (Collection, Cleveland Museum of Art)
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Title: Screen - Media: Vitrolite glass, sandblasting, aluminum
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Title: Shields - Media: Vitrolite glass, sandblasting
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Making Vitrolite at the factory, 1941

Ferro Corp., Cleveland, Ohio - Vitrolite Panels - Lobby Installation

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Title: Symmetry (1)
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Title: Symmetry (2)
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Title: Symmetry (3)
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Title: Symmetry (4)

All the works in the Ferro commission above are dimensioned at 32 x 24

Early Wall Panels