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Philip Vallentin
Glass & Photography

philip@espressoanimation.com

Glass+photography: www.nimby.tv

Animation: www.espressoanimation.com

Philip Vallentin

It's all Dale Chihuly's fault. His amazing show at the V & A in London in 2001 and then his equally amazing show at Kew Gardens in London in 2005!

Regardless of possessing no previous knowledge of blown glass, I couldn't help feeling that his spectacularly inventive installations were something very unique, created by many skilled people. When I saw the Kew Garden show I promised myself to get a really good understanding of this thing called blown glass by giving it a go somewhere, somehow. A quick internet search in December of 2005 discovered Peter Layton's London Glassblowing Workshop here in London. My first class was so fun, I spent the whole of 2006 going glass mad!

In total I did about 10 lessons, mostly 3 hours long, but one session was 4 days in Northern Denmark! I reckon it adds up to about 100 hours. In that time I succeeded in making around 55 "things". I owe a great deal of thanks to the patient tutoring of the experienced teachers who were always very instrumental in any success I had. Glassblowing is a very refined craft requiring a great deal of time and practice. For a beginner to actually make even the simplest paperweight, an experieced tutor in a studio filled with an array of specialist kit, from a scorchingly hot furnace to a scorchingly hot oven, is absolutely essential.

The added bonus to how captivating and seductive things made of glass can be, is how photogenic they are. It was a pleasant surprise to end up with so many pretty images of all the pieces. In close up or extreme macro close-up, objects in glass very easily become images of incredible beauty. Whether light is bouncing off the surface or shining through a piece, the coloured, clear, smooth or textured glass looks fantastic. For me, I really set out just to blow glass and now I also get a real kick out of trying to get some fun images of the pieces.

Espresso Animation is a London based Animation Production Company specialising in commercials. Philip Vallentin, Espresso Director started up the company more than 14 years ago. Espresso specialises in traditional character animation with a smattering of 3D and live action.