Glass And Metal Sculpture ‘Trottola V’ by Laura McKinley

Luxurious glass and metal sculpture, inspired by the Italian Incalmo technique, where two hot glass bubbles are fused to create one piece.

Here, the glass has been detailed with turned bronze to complete the work.

These pieces have a playful, toylike appearance, but with the seriousness and elegance of finely accomplished art.

The juxtaposition between serious and playful is a theme throughout Laura’s recent works

Glass And Metal Sculpture – Artist

Laura McKinley Glass Artist began her glass-making career with a BA in 2008 at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University. From there, her stellar rise through the glassmaking world has been nothing short of a blaze of glory.

After graduating, Laura won a scholarship to the world-famous Pilchuck Glass School in the United States, and then a further scholarship to create a piece of work for the Fresh Air Sculpture Show in 2010.

Laura continues to hone her skillset and has completed her Masters in Ceramics and Glass at the Royal College of Art with a full scholarship.

Since then, Laura has been working full-time as a glass artist. Her work is influenced by the Italian Incalmo technique, where two separate hot-blown glass bubbles are cut and coalesced together to form a unique single piece.

The interplay between the two pieces forms unimagined juxtapositions of light and texture, providing Laura with endless possibilities. Often, the results are serendipitous and completely unexpected, allowing the finger of fate to become part of the glassmaking process.

Working with molten hot glass requires quick decision-making. Decisions that etch themselves onto the final finished piece.

Thoughts become actions, spontaneous actions become tangible artistic results. After the heat and excitement of the furnace, Laura settles down to the painstaking, meticulous finishing work that makes her work so unfathomably beautiful.

Laura works from her studio in Woolwich, London. 

Artist Statement

“I am intrigued by the contrast between the fragile, serious nature of glass and the playfulness of the form. I aim to create something that looks as though it should be touched and toyed with, yet leads the viewer to question this, because of the fragility of the material”.

Laura McKinley Glass Artist