Glass Cultivator E-Book

Thomas Schönauer

• Herausgeber: Barton Verlag
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 25

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Two men, craftsmen, rough workshops with loud, hot machines and equipment, cranes, furnaces, welding equipment, forges, blowpipes, compressors and much more. In this environment, fine thoughts on filigree forms, the polishing of fractions of a millimetre, the balancing of light and material take place in an infinitely subtle design cosmos. The book shows two artists, their materials and their working methods as they could hardly be more diff erent and shows the resulting synergy, the birth of a new joint artistic path.

Leseprobe

TABLE OF CONTENT

Men at Work

Ulisses Cohn

Thomas Schönauer

Robert Comploj

Works by Thomas and Robert

Fabio Magalhães

Imprint

Vita Robert and Thomas

MEN AT WORK

MEN AT WORK -STEEL MEETS GLASS

The encounter

In a workshop in Vienna, surrounded by high windows through which the sunlight fell in slanting rays, Thomas Schönauer stood in front of one of his steel sculptures. The shiny surfaces reflected the light and cast dancing shadows on the floor. He looked at the forms he had perfected over the years - abstract shapes made of stainless steel that filled the room with their presence.

Suddenly the door opened and a man entered. It was Robert Comploj, a glassblower whose reputation extended far beyond the borders of Vienna. They greeted each other with a firm handshake.

"I've heard about your work," said Robert, letting his gaze wander over the steel sculptures. "They are impressive."

"Thank you," replied Thomas. "I've also seen some of your glass art. Your work is fascinating."

They talked about their art, their techniques and their visions. It quickly became clear that they had found a common language - the language of material, form and transformation. They decided to work together.

The process

The collaboration began with an exchange of ideas. Thomas showed Robert some of the sketches and models he had developed for his steel sculptures. Robert looked at them carefully and began to imagine how these forms could be translated into glass.

"Glass is a fluid material," Robert explained. "It lives, it breathes. It is sensitive, but also strong. It can absorb the energy of your steel sculptures and transfer it to another dimension."

Thomas nodded thoughtfully. "I've always tried to bring the inanimate to life. Maybe glass can give this life a new dimension."

They began to work together on a project they called "Stahlgeist". Thomas produced a steel model that formed the basic shape of the sculpture. At the same time, Robert developed a glass interpretation that took up the same formal language, but with the lightness and transparency of glass.

The work process was intensive. Thomas spent hours cutting, welding and polishing the steel parts. Robert worked with his team in the glassworks, where the furnaces were heated to over 1,100 degrees. The molten glass was picked up with the glass pipe, moulded and shaped into the desired form. Every move had to be right, every movement was crucial.

"It's like a dance," Robert once said. "Every step has to be perfectly synchronised with the other."

The challenge

The biggest challenge was to transform the material steel into glass. While steel offered stability and structure, glass brought fragility and transparency, creating a completely new work of art with the same form. They had to find a way to bring the forms to life in both elements.

"It's not just about technology," said Thomas. "It's about understanding the material, respecting its nature."