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Haptic and Responsive Glass

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Saans : eyes of the skin

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In homage to the Sheesh Mahals (palaces of mirrors) of South Asia, this wall of shattered glass mirror acknowledges the presence of its viewers, by moving subtly with its own inhaling and exhaling breath. Because they are made of blown glass, each shard is slightly curved, creating thousands of convex mirrors that miniaturize the viewer’s reflection.The viewer almost disappears when standing still in front of the piece, while the curved mirrors amplify every small movement to create a cascading wave. Over time, the silicone skin will age, just like the original buildings did, and small pieces of mirror will fall away. The 35th Rakow Commission at Corning Museum of Glass.
 
Year: 2020-2022
Dimensions: 6 ft x 4 ft x 1 ft
Media: Blown, mirrored, and cracked glass: silicone, steel; Arduino sensors; electronics; wood
 
Front view featuring a reflective glass skin that breathes in the presence of a viewer, while miniaturizing and multiplying their self-image into a million repetitions across its surface. Photo Credit : Brad Patoka
 
 
 
 

Watch the subtle breathing behavior of Saans, in normal and fast speeds. Credit : Brad Patoka
 
 
 
 
Front view featuring mirrored glass as an elastic skin. Back view featuring woodburnt patterns that articulate the skeletal structure living inside the artwork’s body. Photo Credit : Brad Patoka
 
 
 
 
A peek inside the artwork shows its skeleton, organs and nerves. Photo Credit : Brad Patoka
 
 
 
 

Video documentary about the making of this artwork. Published by Corning Museum of Glass, 2022
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Glass glove greeting: 42 handshakes in 2 days

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Guests at an exhibition opening are greeted by its curator (myself) with a handshake. The skin-toned glove, lined with glass on the palm of the hand, is cold and crunchy within a warm and friendly encounter, thereby challenging the visitor’s judgment of ocular versus haptic experience.
 
Year: 2009
Dimensions: Medium sized glove
Media: Mirrored glass, silcone, artist, handshake
 
(TL) New glove; (TR) Artifact, the worn glove, scanned after 42 handshakes; (B) the gesture.
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Quiver vessels

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Using a custom technique, glass vessels are made flexible and foldable. They respond to breeze, a poke, sound… Encounter with these vessels animates viewers.
 
Year: 2009 onwards
Dimensions: 5 – 16” diameter
Media: Blown mirrorized glass, silicone
 
 
(R). Gold quiver vessel, large, (L). Cluster of quiver vessels in various sizes.
 
 
 

Behavior and appearance of quiver vessels (R) made in 2010, (L). made In 2023.

 

 

Object monologue / Unpacking the Glass Vessel, 2009

 

 

Details

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Particulate Text Scanner

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A wooden block is embedded with a long row of glass test tubes, the bottoms of which act as magnifying lenses. Based on the Sheesh Mahal’s (palace of mirrors) optical phenomenon, the tool transforms text into particulate yet magnified lettering, challenging the reader’s habit of encountering coherence.
 
Year: 2008
Dimensions: 15”L x 2” W x 4” H
Media: Glass, test tubes, wood, electronics, participant, text.
 
The scanner being used by Jamie Boyle
 
 
 
 
View from within a glass tube. What the eye sees/reads from a single tube of glass.
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Particulate Devil and Binocular Visions

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A tool that re-orients human vision through the optical phenomenon of the Sheesh Mahal miniaturizes and multiplies one’s field of vision. Everything one sees through the lens is reduces to a small particle. The singularity of subjects is destroyed, discerned only as pattern.
 
Year: 2008
Dimensions: 4” dia x 8” L (device); Variable dimensions (video).
Media: Glass, wood, real-time 2-channel video, wearer.
 
The tool and its user, Anjali.
 
 
 
 
[ INSERT VIDEO 35_B ]
Two directions of vision through the particulate devil’s tool brought to a single screen.
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(Re)Fexion: an improvisational interface

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A cracked reflective glass object, held in my hands and my mouth, inhales and exhales, shrivels and expands, as viewers approach and interact with it/me.
 
Year: 2008
Dimensions: 12″ dia (tool); 2′ Lx 2’W x 5′ H (gesture)
Media: Mirrorized blown glass, silcone, breath, anjali
 
 
(R). Staging at the Queens Museum, NY, (L). What the audience sees. Photo credit : Yuka Otani
 
 
 
 
 

Excerpt from flip book demonstrating behavior of object. Photo credit : Yuka Otani
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A-Line in Glass

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Year: 2007 onwards
Dimensions: Dress sz 4
Media: Mirrorized blown glass, silcone, artist, accessories
 
 

Pink- Peach Glass Dress, 2010

A reflective, flexible glass dress interacts with people in New York, while absorbing into its mirrored surface the city that surrounds it.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Blue dress, 2017

Others have worn the dresses as the build of the dress offers elastic flexibility for the wearer’s body type.
 
 
 
 
 

Excerpt from a video journal that chronicled a day in the life of the glass dress, 2007

Interactions in public space test the invisible boundary set up by the viewer’s curiosity to fixate on me or temptation to feel the dress, and perceived inappropriateness of staring at me, calling out to me or touching my body.

 

 

Pink- Peach Glass Dress, 2010

A reflective, flexible glass dress interacts with people in New York, while absorbing into its mirrored surface the city that surrounds it. 2010.

 

 

Pink- Peach Glass Dress, 2010

Interactions in public space test the invisible boundary set up by the viewer’s curiosity to fixate on me or temptation to feel the dress, and perceived inappropriateness of staring at me or touching my body.

 

 

Blue dress, 2017

The dress is styled by the person wearing it.

 

 

Pink- Peach Glass Dress, 2010

A reflective, flexible glass dress interacts with people in New York, while absorbing into its mirrored surface the city that surrounds it. At night time.

 

 

Blue dress, 2017

Blue glass dress during a seminar lecture at MassArt in 2019

 

 

Pink- Peach Glass Dress, 2010

The dress is flexible and comfortable to sit in. As I bend or flex the dress, the shards break further into smaller convex mirrors, shed like dead skin cells, turning to dust over time. This is a self-eroding object.

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Unda

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A skin of glass and crystal that glows when and in the areas touched by human hand. I wanted people to experience the moment when their touch causes another’s skin to glow, when their presence blesses the moment with warmth. Commissioned project for Swarovski Designer of the Future Award.

Year: 2006
Dimensions: 600 x 160 x 100 cm
Media: Cast glass, mineral oxides, Swarovski crystal, custom electronics, LED, participant

Detail showing moment of touch and illumination on the crystal textile. Photo credit: Swarovski

 

 

Gesture demonstrated by the artist. Photo credit: Swarovski

 

 


Installation view. Photo credit: Swarovski

 

 

Video about the commission. Credit: Laura Bushell

 

 

The glass textile during process of making.