Living in the modern world, it is difficult to imagine that once people did not have a question about what is made of glass. They did not know that such material exists in the world, and nature itself had to tell them about it.
How did it all start?
This happened during the time of Pliny, who describes in detail the incident that occurred during the journey of the Phoenician sailors. They cooked food using pieces of soda as a stand for a bonfire that was placed in the sand. When all this was heated to a certain temperature and melted, connecting together, a glass formed. Of course, travelers still did not know what application the resulting substance could find, and were very surprised to learn, for example, that they made glassware and many other important and useful things.
Everyday use
But over time, of course, the properties of the material were studied, and now it does not surprise anyone what glass is made of glass vases, figurines and other little things, which are not household items, but works of art. And one cannot say that modern masters have achieved such subtleties. Back in 2000 BC, the Chinese made glass in an amazing way. If you ask a child: “What is made of glass?” “Aquarium, window, glass,” he will answer, that is, he will name the objects in the room and he will be absolutely right.
Transparent people
But after all, other amazing things are made of it. For example, sculptures, despite the fragility of the material. The master from Scotland Rob Mulholland did not begin to wonder what other people make of glass. He created his own unique works of art. But he knew exactly what mirrors were made of glass, because it was precisely their ability to reflect the outside world that he used to create his sculptures, which he installed in the Elizabethan forest park in Aberfoyle. They are silhouettes of people carved in full growth.
Visitors to the park are extremely surprised when a “ghost” suddenly appears in front of them. This effect arises from the fact that figures cut from plexiglas are not visible at a certain angle. Mulholland set up his sculptures with the goal of more than amusing travelers. He wanted to show people that the natural landscape is changing depending on whether they are present in a certain corner of the Earth or not, and to draw attention to the history that occurred after the end of the First World War. Then from these places, which were bare slopes without trees, the farmers who lived here were resettled and planted a forest. Thus, the question of what is made of glass can be answered with semantic art installations. And that will be true.
Mimicking nature
Another original master who uses glass to create his work, became Shayna Leib. Describe her works in one word will not work. Simply put, they are interlacing of multi-colored tubes of glass. Shayna achieves such an effect of naturalness that the viewer initially cannot understand from what what is shown to him. Most of all, it looks like sea grass or the tentacles of an unknown animal. Compositions come in different sizes, but they are all very beautiful and seem alive.
Where else is applied?
Although society has become accustomed to the fact that glass is used for domestic purposes and many do not think about what creative people make of glass, it brings significant benefits in ordinary life. Now it’s hard to imagine how people did without mirrors. But they are also made of glass.The lenses made from this material help travelers, physicians, scientists. After all, they are inserted into telescopes, telescopes, microscopes. Yes, an ordinary person is familiar with them. These are glasses, faithful helpers of those who see poorly. Here, too, can not do without glass. Its two properties - transparency and durability - were useful not only in making glasses.
To see the world
The eyes of a house or apartment are windows. Now it’s hard to imagine that once, instead of glass, mica, paper or a bull bubble were used. Windows provide not only the opportunity to see the outside world without leaving home. They can still decorate the interior, if made of stained glass. Multi-colored glass can be used for doors. Stained-glass windows give the room bright colors or mystery, at the request of the owner, when sunlight or electric light penetrates through them.
Can be recycled
Glass has become a true friend to man. A huge advantage of this material is the possibility of its secondary processing. No wonder they collect used glass containers and broken glass. It is transported to recycling plants and smelted for future use. Thus, entrepreneurs save their production costs and improve the environment. This is a great way to help the planet get rid of debris. After all, otherwise you have to wait for the decomposition of glass for more than 1000 years.
