Topic: Studio Sculpture / Suncatcher in Smoke = Whitefriars Architectural Slab No. 4

[Bernard C]

I'm not sure what to call this!   Its weight, 5lb 11oz / 2584g, indicates a studio piece, either a one-off or from a short run.   So I'm fairly safe with Studio and Sculpture.   It catches the sun, so is a Suncatcher, but if you use the term for one of those pierced discs suspended by a piece of string, then it's not, as there's no hole (and the string would break).

The glass is what I think of as Smoke, with the slightest hint of olive green (don't take this too seriously as my colour vision isn't accurate).   It made me think of both early Caithness, described by Lesley Jackson as made in "... a distinctive range of ... colours inspired by the Scottish landscape ...", and Dartington.   Did Caithness produce such work, or, probably more likely, were there any local studio artists re-using Caithness cullet, much in the same way as we know several studio glassmakers recycled Dartington cullet?

It measures approximately 7" (18cm) square and 1ΒΌ" (35mm) thick, and was cast in a lightly textured mould, then deeply impressed in three places by two different sized rings or tubes.   The upper, natural surface of the glass is perfection and is delightfully tactile.

It catches the sun beautifully on a window ledge, and two of my pictures show this from slightly different angles.   The one on the right had the setting sun behind it, taken yesterday just before the sun disappeared behind the roofline.   I've cropped this further and reorientated it to produce the image at the end of this initial post.

So, can any kind reader throw any light at all on this suncatcher / sculpture?

Thanks for your interest.

Bernard C.  

... and finally β€” this is me being artistic:

Burnished Gold by Bernard C.

[johnphilip]

It looks a bit like a Whitefriars architectural slab. Willow ?

[vidrioguapo]

Looks like architectural slab No.4 c 1969, I think it may be Twilight............can't see them as being made in Willow, but who knows?

Here's a catalogue link

http://www.whitefriars.com/catalogues/contents.php?pageNum_catalogue=6&totalRows_catalogue=222&id=401

Emmi

[Bernard C]

JP & Emmi β€” Brilliant.   Grateful thanks.

I've been through the Twilight photographs in Jackson and found two more on WF.com, and this architectural slab is certainly Twilight, although the colour is much deeper as it is 1ΒΌ" thick.

... and it is certainly No. 4, and these large square slabs seem to have only appeared in the 1969 trade catalogue.

The catalogue entries for both sizes are accompanied by colour codes: B F Tw Flame.   Four different colours are shown here, of which three are Flint (F), Twilight (Tw), and Flame (Flame).   B must be the slab on the lower right unless it is in a non-catalogue colour.   What is B the code for?

Thanks again.

Bernard C. 

[johnphilip]

Yes Bernard Emmi is good on colours and thats one of my many weak points. :huh:

[alexander]

These are fantastic 

[vidrioguapo]

  " What is B the code for?"

The B is for Blue which in this case was Arctic Blue.

Emmi

[Bernard C]

Emmi β€” Thanks.

Here is a useful reference image by Leni showing the difference between the two main Whitefriars' blues at this time, Arctic Blue used for the architectural slabs, and Sapphire.

Bernard C.  

[Leni]

Thanks, Bernard  Not strictly true, though.  Arctic Blue actually replaced the earlier Sapphire - in 1960 I believe.  And Ocean Green replaced the earlier Sea Green at around the same time 

[Bernard C]

Leni β€” Thanks for the correction.    :kissy:

Bernard C.