Glass as an art form has an ancient tradition; the archaeological record suggests that artisans in Egypt and Mesopotamia were fabricating glass vessels and ornaments during the fourth millennium BCE. Its durable nature, range of colors, malleability, and most of all, its optical transparency are qualities that have made glass a premiere art medium. Over a lifetime, Frederick Birkhill (1951–2023) has explored the unique qualities of glass and the numerous techniques and intricacies of working with it. The result of these decades of study is a body of work that is extraordinary in scope, technical expertise, and sheer virtuosity. The Artist Book Foundation is delighted to present a new monograph honoring this gifted artist: Glassworks: The Art of Frederick Birkhill.
From his time in England at Burleighfield House, the studio of stained-glass artist Patrick Reyntiens, to his unprecedented visit to Lauscha, the village in the former East Germany famous for both its art and scientific glass production, and his subsequent career as an explorer, teacher, and master of the glass arts, Birkhill has devoted himself to furthering the appreciation of the medium and sharing his vast experience with colleagues, collectors, and students. His works appear in numerous museum collections, including those of The Corning Museum of Glass, the Museum of Arts and Design, the Mint Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Smithsonian.
Complementing the scholarly contributions by authors with significant backgrounds in the glass arts, the book features in its extensive plate section the lavish photography of Henry Leutwyler, which offers readers an opportunity to examine the complex details and artistic mastery of Birkhill’s oeuvre. In addition, the monograph offers a glossary of glass-art terms, a detailed chronology of the artist’s life, his extensive exhibition history, and a list of the numerous awards he has received. For those who are passionate about the glass arts, this monograph is a feast for the eyes.

Samantha De Tillio is a craft scholar, independent curator, and writer with over ten years of experience working in museum collections and publishing. From 2003 to 2022, she was curator of collections at the Museum of Arts and Design. Dr. Dedo von Kerssenbrock-Krosigk has been the director of Glasmuseum Hentrich Stiftung, Museum Kunstpalast, in Düsseldorf, Germany since 2008. From 2004 to 2008, he was the curator of European glass at The Corning Museum of Glass. Amy Schwartz joined The Corning Museum of Glass in 1995 to create The Studio, the artistic and educational glassworking facility of the Museum that provides programs for people of all ages and all levels of glass expertise. She is currently its director. Stuart Reid and Dr. Doreen Balabanoff are artists, architectural designers, and professors of environmental design at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada.

Contents: 7
Artist’s Statement | Frederick Birkhill: 9
Acknowledgments: 15
Introduction | Samantha De Tillio: 19
A German Perspective on Frederick Birkhill | Dr. Dedo Von Kerssenbrock-Krosigk: 23
The Art of Frederick Birkhill: One Foot in the Past, One Foot in the Future | Amy Schwartz: 29
Fred Birkhill: Vitreous Venustas | Stuart Reid and Dr. Doreen Balabanoff: 35
Plates: 59
Vases, Vessels, and Variations: 61
Mixed Media: 171
Museum Collections: 193
Artist’s Private Collection: 227
Glassmaking Glossary: 252
Chronology: 253
Selected Exhibitions: 258
Selected Collections: 264
Honors and Awards: 265
Professional Affiliations and Activities: 266
Selected Bibliography: 272
Photography Credits: 276
Index: 277
Copyright Page: 280

Frederick Birkhill is a Renaissance man in the glass arts. He is an artist, an educator, a historian, an inventor, and a pioneer, and he was an early member of the Studio Glass movement. Fred is also an independent studio artist with a wealth of knowledge about glass. He is respected for his one-of-a-kind flameworked glass objects and mixed-media constructions. He is a master of the montage technique. Vases, goblets, bottles, tumblers, and beads are all part of his repertoire. Passionate about glass since he saw flameworking as a child, Birkhill has focused his attention on extensive research of the material as well as creating work, studying historical practices, and instructing students in glass flameworking processes and aesthetics. Frederick Birkhill is a Renaissance man in the glass arts. He is an artist, an educator, a historian, an inventor, and a pioneer, and he was an early member of the Studio Glass movement. Fred is also an independent studio artist with a wealth of knowledge about glass. He is respected for his one-of-a-kind flameworked glass objects and mixed-media constructions. He is a master of the montage technique. Vases, goblets, bottles, tumblers, and beads are all part of his repertoire. Passionate about glass since he saw flameworking as a child, Birkhill has focused his attention on extensive research of the material as well as creating work, studying historical practices, and instructing students in glass flameworking processes and aesthetics.