Christopher Hawthorne - Studio Art Glass

“Christopher Hawthorne is recognized throughout the nation for his large, colorful, yet loosely handled blown glass pieces. His casually elegant forms exemplify his skill with this plastic medium at the highest quality in contemporary crafts. However, it is the colors possible in glass that most seem to fascinate Hawthorne. To better showcase his mastery of the numerous metallic oxides that blend together to make up his palette, he has flattened his vertical forms, creating sides like stretched glass canvases. Also he has blown out large open glass bowls which blend in equal proportions the concerns of the sculptor and the painter. In each work it is this perfect harmony of color and form that distinguishes his vessels.”

Introductory statement from The Fine Art of Vessels, Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay, Oregon, December 4 - January 2, 1994

Christopher Hawthorne began working with flat glass in his spare time while commercial fishing off the Oregon Coast in the mid 70’s. He met Dale Chihuly through a mutual friend in 1978 and was encouraged to try a summer session at the Pilchuck Glass School. He enrolled in the flat glass workshop led by Patrick Reyntiens that same year. It was during this session that Hawthorne became drawn to hot glass. He enrolled in the hot glass program the following year and studied under Joel Meyers and Dan Dailey. Determined to pursue hot glass, but in the meantime, continued commercial fishing.

Returning to Pilchuck in 1984, Hawthorne studied under Fritz Driesbach and Marvin Lipofsky. In 1985 he built the shop that became known as Plum Tree Glass. Hawthorne has had the privileged opportunity to study under Lino Tagliapietra, Loredano Rosin and Lucio Bubbaco, masters of Murano, Italy. Hawthorne has been strongly influenced by Pino Signoretto in his attitude and approach to the medium. Pino is a master glass blower, but of more importance, a pioneer in solid hot glass sculptures. Other artists that have had strong influence on his work are Dale Chihuly as he introduced Hawthorne to the medium and William Morris through his painterly approach to his surface design and masterly control of form. “My experience from watching these talented people work has led me to believe that any idea can be expressed in glass.”

Hawthorne’s forms are used primarily as a support for brilliantly colored abstract paintings. These paintings are accomplished by combining a variety of glass elements, including color shards, cane, murrini, and frit, all of which are made ahead of time. The designs are arranged and preheated on a hot plate. The main body colors are usually transparent, applied in layers, sometimes adding opaque white between interior and exterior colors, followed by several gathers of clear glass. When the final layer of glass is gathered, the piece is rolled over gold and silver leaf, followed by the preheated design. After working the design into the surface by reheating and shaping, the piece is blown out. On some pieces, solid glass elements are added at this point to enhance optical effects. Final shaping is done and the piece is placed in the annealer to cool.

Hawthorne’s work can be found in public and private collections throughout the world, including Museum of Fine Art, Boston; Muskegon Museum of Art; Coos Art Museum; Carolina Power and Light; Dow Chemical; UAW/ Chrysler Corp. Collection; Renaissance Vineyards; Motorola Corporation; Northwest Life Insurance; Prudential Securities; Gillette Corporation.