Transparency and Light in Glass and Art

Feb 23, 2015
Issue 2163

from CMoG

by Caitlin Hyde

Let’s consider glass and transparency. Why is glass transparent and why is it sometimes not? What does it mean to be translucent or opaque? The ability to transmit, absorb, or reflect light is a characteristic that makes glass very appealing in art applications so artists choose to make use of it in a variety ways.

In a work of art we look at both formal (having to do with the shape or form of the object) and conceptual (having to do with the story being told by the object) characteristics. When that artwork is made of glass, notable formal aspects include not only shape, size, texture, and color which we see in most art objects, but also a…..

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