Studio Tour and Location Presentation

To help you understand the significance of these complex and beautiful works, we’ve provided this “virtual tour” of the artist’s studio.  This will walk you through the process that goes into the design and creation of the various pieces.

Conception

Every work is one of a kind and although some pieces share common shapes or elements, no two are exactly alike. This assures the integrity of the work the collector might obtain. Mr. Kuhn designs each piece with meticulous care and thought. While the placement of color and individual elements may appear random, be assured that there is a formula and complex pattern Mr. Kuhn has created in designing these works. The design flows from conceptual drawings much like those of a complicated architectural project. With input from his highly trained staff, the optimum method of assembling is then devised.

The core is created

Once the design is finalized, the intricate core, which is the basic form of all the works, is started. First, high quality colored glass is melted into thin sheets that are then laminated together in various patterns. Some sheets may be given gold or silver leaf treatments. This color stack may be a few inches high to over a foot. It is then cut into narrow strips that are then ground and polished. This cut is then laminated to other strips at various angles. The newly created color stack is once again cut with a diamond saw into thinner color stacks. The process of grinding, polishing and laminating is repeated. Eventually, the "inner core" is formed. This core typically contains several thousand pieces of individually cut and polished glass and is three to four inches across. Larger works may have up to 10,000 pieces and be over a foot across. The painstaking labor and effort takes weeks to produce the desired result.

Casing the core

Once the core has been laminated and finely polished, it is encased in borosilicate glass. This is extremely high quality glass, the type use in fine camera lenses. Its clarity is unparalleled. Additionally, layers of leaded glass which has a different light diffusing effect may also encase the core. The casement of borosilicate and leaded glass is then ground and polished again. This step may be repeated a number of times to achieve different designs and shapes. Throughout the process, before each piece is laminated to another, the surface is finely polished to a tolerance of 0.0001 inch. This is why you will not see air bubbles in the glass except for those intended in the color strips. By this point, it may have taken six months of design and assemblage. Larger and more complex pieces may require up to 18 months to complete.

Mounting the work

Once the glass cube, pendulum, ring, wedge or column is completed, it is mounted to its base. Each base and mounting component is fabricated in the studio by seasoned metal smiths. The glass cubes are mounted on stainless steel bases designed to allow the cube to rotate. Larger cubes can be mounted on motorized bases so the piece is continually in motion. Some bases are tall and slender, standing four to five feet in height. Wedges and wing shapes are hung between stainless steel stands on hair thin wires and can be free standing or placed in a wall niche. Pendulum clusters will remind you of icicles when they are hung from thin wires from the ceiling. Again, these are often motorized so they sparkle and radiate a myriad of colors.

The smallest of the works stands approximately six inches high. A typical cube measures 14 inches high by 10 inches square. Due to the density of glass, the weight of these pieces is considerable. A 10-inch by 10-inch cube will weigh approximately 50 pounds once it is attached to its base. Larger works can easily weigh up to 150 pounds. For larger works, Mr. Kuhn provides a custom made hoist so the collector can easily move the piece from one location to another.


There are a few selected galleries throughout the United States featuring Mr. Kuhn's works. If you happen to reside near one of these galleries, you can certainly view his works there. To access the listing of these selected galleries, go to the Galleries page of this website.