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Glass for Art & Architecture
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Piece “Celebration”
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Pieces “ Harp”
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Piece “Mezzo Luna”
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Christopher Ries, "Artist-in-Residence" at SCHOTT Duryea
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SCHOTT material is well known for applications in optics, lithography, astronomy and
science. But glass from Advanced Optics is not only found in industrial, security or
medical industries, SCHOTT material is also well suited for applications and projects
in Art, Architecture and Design and a significant number of artists use it for either
artistic or architectural projects.
With the capability to provide custom material, SCHOTT offers all different kinds of
glass in different shapes, characteristics and qualities. Providing the purest optical
crystal manufactured in the world, pieces of art with unique reflection of light have
enabled other projects in public buildings with decorative glass walls and other
decorative elements.
A perfect example of this symbiosis are the pieces of the artist, Christopher Ries.
Since 1979 Christopher has exclusively used glass crystal produced by SCHOTT
Duryea for his incredible works of art.
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Christopher preparing a piece of glass for further processing
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Final processing creating the incredible light reflection
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After growing up in central Ohio, Ries earned his Bachelors Degree in Fine Art and
received his Masters of Fine Art from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in the
late 70s. He founded the glass department at the Ohio State University and also ran
a glass blowing studio for two summers.
In 1979 Ries made an effort to find the ultimate glass sculpting material. His search
led him to SCHOTT in Duryea, Pennsylvania. Ries experimented with many glass
types produced at SCHOTT over the next few years in his Columbus, Ohio studio.
In 1986 Ries had earned the respect of SCHOTT Duryea president, Dr. Franz Herkt,
and was offered studio space at the Pennsylvania manufacturing facility. Christopher
Ries has been a non-paid, independent contractor there ever since, with the title
"Artist-in-Residence."
Christopher, with SCHOTT’s help has produced the largest whole, unassembled
pieces of crystal sculpture known. The work is in many museums and fine art
collections around the world.
Ries, a master sculptor of cold glass, employs the discipline of “classical reductive
sculpture.” Ries hand carves massive blocks of glass to create his exterior shapes by
taking material away – a step-by-step material subtraction by use of saws, rough
grinding and final polishing. To accomplish this process, special tools & machinery
are generally required. The fact that Ries’ sculptural material is some of the purest
optical crystal manufactured in the world today lets him add an additional presence to
his work. His use of light as a primary mechanism for creating art sets his work apart
from other hot and cold glass sculptors. According to Christopher, "Communicating
one's vision through the cold working process is elusive and challenging. It starts with
conceiving a form in glass that can convey your thoughts. Since there are so many
things a work of glass can say, it can be challenging to choose a direction to take the
form. The remarkable quality of SCHOTT’s optical glass has allowed me unlimited
design potential. SCHOTT produces materials that enable me to bring my ideas into
reality.”
More of Christopher’s work can be found at: http://www.christopherries.com
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Contact
Advanced Optics
SCHOTT AG
Hattenbergstrasse 10 55122 Mainz Germany
 | +49 (0)6131/66-1812 |
 | +49(0)3641/2888-9047 |
E-mail
More contacts
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