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Arts & Communication Contemporary Portuguese glass art

In fact, the interest in this subject has been surging in the topic of the artist Teresa Almeida in her PhD research and
realm of higher education, evidenced by the inception of the an example of this work can be seen in Figure 1.
“laboratory of artistic technologies” for the course like Fine Here, several granulometries and different temperatures
Arts and Art Technologies in Polytechnic Institute of Viana were applied using the pâte-de-verre technique. The work
do Castelo (ESE-IPVC), where glass art has been taught has small holes where water corrosion left the mark
since 2017/18. During the last decades, there has been an of time, causing small concavities, gravity drops, and
increase in relevant research projects concerning glass art. small stalactites. As with living corals whose colors fade

3. Glass panorama according to their depth in the ocean and the intensity
of the light that enters the water, the pieces are colorless
3.1. Artistic glass research in daylight, evoking the transparency that exists at the

The arts and the sciences are two great engines of culture: bottom of the ocean. The rays of the sun that propagate
sources of creativity, places of aspirations, and markers of through the surface of the water reveal the intense colors of
aggregate identity. 14 the corals, and so it is in the darkness, with the aid of black
light, that the colors of the piece are visualized, thus gaining
The relationship between artists and scientists has long a dimension that it previously did not have. The observer
been explored. It is not only that science influences art is requested to visualize the piece from two perspectives:
but also art influences science, in a mutual relationship monochromatic and luminescent polychromatic. The
crucial for the evolution of new materials and new artistic creation of this magical enchantment intends to appeal
concepts. Strosberg considers that collectively, science and to the viewer’s environmental consciousness. The interest
art developed pioneering perceptions, and to get the same in the pâte-de-verre is due not only to its appearance
result, they frequently operate on identical topics. Rising and technical characteristics but also to its esthetic
new notions and methods are what make one an artist physiognomy. The idea of fragility, given by the tiny glass
or a scientist. Both value originality and creativity and particles, remains eminent in the piece’s appearance. In
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aim to promote change and innovation. In the increasing their presence, the viewer enjoys the sensation that they
collaboration between scientists and artists, many artists might break at the slightest touch. However, they have a
start to integrate the concepts and instruments of scientific structure far more consistent than their apparent fragility. 18
research into their artistic practice. The artist becomes
more engaged in the scientific methodologies, wanting to Umberto Eco wrote that art always mentions something
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understand the chemical reaction that is happening, and about the world we live in. This piece was exhibited in
we can recognize that the relationship concerning art and her solo exhibition Ecological Transparency. This piece
science is something occurs that drive into life a fresh style was exhibited in her solo exhibition entitled Ecological
of art: what we can call of an artist’s that is also a scientist. Transparency: from tropics to glaciers, presented at the
The laboratory becomes the new atelier of the artist, the new Portuguese Glass Museum in 2019. A solo exhibition
space for creation. “The development and use of science that presents works done with luminescent glass and
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and technology by artists have always been, and always will luminescent enamels with ecological concepts.
be, an integral part of the art-making process.” 16, p.44 Fernando Quintas also investigated this material in his
Research at VICARTE focuses on the production of PhD using float glass, a more economical glass that is easily
new products. Among the materials developed, here was
luminescent glass. These different types of luminescent
glass were aimed at the realization of art pieces; the
composition is primarily soda-lime silicate with the
addition of different lanthanide oxides, also known as
rare earth oxides. The oxides introduced were europium
(Eu O ), terbium (Tb O ) cerium (CeO ), dysprosium
2
3
4 ,
2
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(Dy O ), thulium (Tm O ), and samarium (Sm O ). To
2
3
2
3
2
3
visualize the diverse colors, we should use ultraviolet (UV)
light (also known as black light) with a wavelength of ca.
380 nm. Luminescent glass is monochromatic under
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daylight, but when exposed to UV light, different colors
emerge. The europium has a red color; terbium is green; Figure 1. Teresa Almeida, Subtle movements of the corals in the Blue
Ocean I and II, 19 × 80 × 25 cm, 2008 – 10, luminescent pâte-de-verre.
cerium is blue; dysprosium is yellow; thulium is light Photo credit: Author. Copyright © 2008 Teresa Almeida. Reprinted with
purple; and samarium has an orange color. This was the permission of Teresa Almeida.
Volume 2 Issue 3 (2024) 3 doi: 10.36922/ac.2777