INSIDE THE LOOKING GLASS
Watching her at work in her studio is a glimpse into some heavenly inferno. Once Marlene scoops up a heavy ladle of
glowing, liquid, molten glass from the furnace, she carries it to the sand molds she has carefully prepared. Attended by
her crew, she carefully pours the glass into the molds. Like bright, white treacle it eases into the sand molds and
begins to cool. Her crew immediately blasts the glass in the mold with fiercely roaring portable burners to slow the cooling
process down, and make sure there are no hot spots that might later crack off. In the mold the liquid glass changes color
almost imperceptibly as it hardens, from bright yellow to orange to pale red and then to crystal clear. When it is at about
1000 degrees F it is carefully picked up (the crew wear thick, heat-proof gloves) and carried into a separate oven where
it is slowly brought down to room temperature. This slow cooling process prevents the glass from cracking, and can take
from 5 days to two weeks.
The overall impression is that this is a complex and dangerous process. But with a well drilled crew, this process becomes
a dance with each partner knowing exactly what to do and when, where communication exists between the crew without
words, and where the result reflects the energy of its creation. The dialogue between clear gals and solid metal, between
spectacular and serene result, make Marlene Rose's works eloquent, elegant,vivacious and above all, truly timeless.
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