In tandem around the flame
- Alain and Laurence create clear and coloured tableware through flameworking techniques
- Their glass work is exhibited in museums in Japan and France
- They find ways of counteracting the environmental impact of non-recyclable glass
Laurence Brabant and Alain Villechange collaborate on designing and making playful glass tableware collections. Laurence designs and Alain works the flame-blown borosilicate glass by hand, producing each piece without moulds in a single, fluid gesture. “We have always tried to use complex techniques to produce relatively simple-looking objects,” says Alain. "What interests me most is translating techniques from traditional furnace-blown glass into flameworking," he adds. Beyond their joint work, they also each explore a more personal creative vision, Laurence in fusing and pâte de verre, and Alain with one-of-a-kind sculptural pieces. Their practice is ever-evolving, shaped both by their creative impulses and by the demands of the market. Their work is held in major collections, including the Shanghai Museum of Glass and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
Interview
- What defines your collections aesthetically?
- Our objects tend to look quite simple, but they are usually very complex to make. We have consistently chosen to work without moulds and without complex tooling or equipment, which is something that is important to us. We also try to ensure that our objects retain a sense of poetry or a playful quality in the way they are used.
- What place does colour occupy in your work today?
- For a long time, we worked exclusively with clear glass, designing very restrained objects that revealed themselves through use or what they contained. Colour opened up new possibilities for us – decoration, graphic elements, expression – and has become an essential part of our work.
- Is environmental impact a consideration in your practice?
- Glassmakers are heavy consumers of energy. The challenge lies in the fact that we work with many types of glass that are not recyclable, including borosilicate glass (Pyrex) and the glass used by furnace-blown glassmakers. There are no recycling networks for these materials. The challenge is to find uses for this waste glass, in order to prevent it from ending up buried in landfills.
- What do you enjoy most about your work?
- There is a certain intensity to working with glass that we find quite beautiful. When you start a piece, it is a bit like beginning a piece of music: once it has started, you cannot stop. You have to carry it through to the end, executing every gesture in the right order and at the right pace to achieve the object you want.
Alain Villechange & Laurence Brabant are master artisans: they began their career in 1998 and they started teaching in 1998
Where
Alain Villechange & Laurence Brabant
