It’s easy to feel sentimental about Cowan’s work – and not just for those who remember the work from childhood, although that’s a common experience. “I’m interested in the history of these materials and telling these stories with these pieces,” Cowan said. “I don’t think viewers need to know the backstory of these pieces to appreciate them, but it makes it more interesting to me as a maker and adds a historical component that I find interesting. America has a very unique history of glassmaking, specifically pressed glass that drove the economy of many American cities. That history, along with the amazing unique handcrafted molds, is being lost.”
“The Cave of the Chocolate Fairy” provides an example of how Cowan continues to inspire these conversations and reflections. The work was recently acquired and is currently in the permanent collection of the Toledo Museum of Art. It was displayed among other works in a recent exhibition that “showcases the advancement of American and European glass through works ranging from nineteenth-century and mid-century modernism to studio and contemporary glass.”
“It’s a stunning backdrop for this piece because it can be viewed in a contemporary setting and also tells the story of the historical progress of American glass and why the pressed glass industry was an extremely important technological advance,” she said. “They even have a full-scale sidebar press on display in the exhibit, which is where the glass I use is made. Visitors can connect the dots and learn about the history and how history is made.”
Even other glass manufacturers sometimes can’t figure out how they’re made. I agree. “
The reality of working in this type of work is that you have to deal with the heartache of an industry that is dissipating. Even the molds used to create these beloved pressings were “rusty and broken,” Cowan said. These molds are all made by the hands of craftsmen. Each mold has its own labor story. It is forged by human hands and has a story. Recently, a West Virginia factory closed, and Cowan attended an auction to purchase a printing press that had been in use for decades. The stories contained in each tool make rescuing a person a joy. “There are tens of thousands of molds in the catalog
“I was heartbroken that I couldn’t save all of these animals,” Cowan said, adding that she was also “trying to save these adorable animals” in the process. “There are several factories in the United States that still use this process and melt the colors in a historical tradition,” she said. “I started working with one of them… and hopefully our collaboration will result in a new, interesting body of work.”
In addition to finding abandoned or active factories, there are many ways a piece of old glass can find its way into Cowan’s work. “I shop at flea markets and thrift stores a lot, and if I’m looking for something special, I spend a lot of time on eBay,” she said. “Strangers who have heard about my work also regularly send me boxes. Often it’s old or broken glass that they don’t want to keep but feel bad throwing away. They give it to me to see if I can find a second life for it in sculpture.”
A second life, but with so much more in it. *
This article first appeared in Issue 51 of High Fructose, which is sold out. Support what we do and get your new High Fructose print subscription here Thanks for reading our articles!
