The kaleidoscopic world of a glass devotee
- Amy's main sources of inspiration are nature and colour
- Her Paradise sculptures have become her signature creation
- She has made majestic installations in cathedrals
In the realm of bespoke, vibrant glass artistry, Amy Cushing stands as a renowned figure. Since the late 1990s, through experimentation and refinement, she has become a glass fusing virtuoso. Amy creates one-off pieces ranging from small objects to imposing hanging installations – painstakingly assembled manually and methodically, for private collectors, art consultants and site-specific commissions for the corporate world. Her work is usually geometric, abstract and highly luminous, even spiritually elevating at times. Amy's creations are a symphony of layers, blending a myriad of hues and dimensions to articulate a visual narrative of boundless joy and intrigue. Lately, she has joined forces with a metalworker artist to create striking mixed-media sculptures.
INTERVIEW
My practice is driven by colour sequence, and of all the mixed disciplines I have studied and worked with, glass gives the purest and most luminous form of colour.
Paradise are handmade using hybrid glass techniques. There are five stages with multiple processes at each stage: hot mouth blown glass, cold cutting and polishing, kiln-formed glass making, water jet cutting and bonding.
To create a piece that has presence within such a powerful space. For me it is important that these works inhabit the space and engage the viewer, while retaining a sense of fragility. Creating an artwork that provides contemplation and reflection.
I was commissioned to create a large scale mosaic in a private residence. Many pieces were kiln fired using my art school facilities as I did not yet have my own set-up. I incorporated handmade pieces with intricately cut coloured glass.
