100 Cupforms

In late October 2023, I started learning glassblowing to better understand the material properties of glass in service of an in idea for an immersive installation merging textiles and glass. Instead of just noodling around and continually just playing with glass, I decided that making 100 vessels with the intent of approaching the classic aesthetic and function of a cup was a good place to start.

This project was financially supported by individuals who pre-purchased each of these Cupforms before they were created. Besides the Cupforms themselves, the backers received access to my journal and sketches relating to the creation of these forms.

My recent artist’s book, Beginner’s Breath: 100 Cupforms is a result of the documentation of the final 100 Cupforms. This book is a way for me to share not only images of all 100 Cupforms, but also to share more about the process. Unintentionally, it has also become a resource for others in their early stages of learning glassblowing and also a way to honor the learning process inherent in this craft based media and technique.

Since the first 100 Cupforms, I still continue to play around with the forms and starting to incorporate color into the work. Periodically, more Cupforms will become available.

Cupforms 000 - 100 & Beginner’s Breath: 100 Cupforms book Photo credit: Joshua Dunn