Sillice: Recycled Glassware and Art
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA 
on 10.21.05
Sol Mesz, the artist behind Sillice, has some pretty interesting and unique ideas when it comes to producing glassware and art. The materials and the process combine to yield a fascinating end result that she hopes will inspire the viewer to interact and connect with the piece. Because she mixes her own colors, she only works with transparent glass, which can be found in common things like old wine and beer bottles. Occasionally, she's even used an odd broken car windshield or two. The process differs from project to project; pieces are fused, slumped or cast depending on the necessary structural and visual components. The piece pictured has been layered together, similar to the print process, so each layer contains one part of the design. Her repertoire includes more functional pieces, like plates and sushi sets, and more eclectic art. Each piece is hand-made in Mesz's studio in southern California. ::Sillice
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I am sick of hearing about artisans/designers showing off their visual design skills under the guise of environmentalism. I don't mean to pick on this artist in particular as I see they are really doing art for arts sake and not claiming to be "environmental". But this article made me think of the many I have seen in the past that do actually seek a pat on the back.
Yes I know there is so much out there sitting around the planet that can be re-used, and probably for a long time too. BUT I am more interested in using the correct resources in the first place. Not the waist of time and even more resources to make something out of used materials.
I am not talking about those many innovative semi/fully industrial ways to re-use previously un-usable waste like tyres. But hey then again, I can't wait until we stop making unsustainable, toxic products in the first place.
Personally, and I may get swarmed for this, but I am not an enviromentalist or anything, and I happened to stumble upon this site by accident. However, going against my typical mind frame of enviromentalism, I actually found some of the things useful and practical for all purposes, and it has made me rethink a few things. And in response to the above post, I think you are contradicting yourself. First, you say we should stop producing toxic waste (which, in some cases, is impossible)in the first place, which is a great idea, but then you say you do not like the people who reuse resources. So what if it's artistic, if it's artistic, it's going to make the typical person look again. All in all, don't diss what you believe yourself, and the Stokke's Peel Chair is friggin' AWSOME!