Jenny Antonio
The Innovative Application of the Coated Glass Surface in Architecture
Supervisory Team: Dr. Kevin Petrie MA(RCA) (Director of Studies), Dr. Colin Gill, Sylva Petrova and David Taylor
This project will develop new models of practice to expand the potential of float glass for artistic and commercial applications through the exploitation of the tin residue on glass and other surface coatings. The resulting effects owe their visual impact to the unique way that glass can transmit light. This will be exploited through the production of artwork in order to develop and demonstrate creative potential. The practical work is supported by materials technology input.
Surface coatings applied to cold glass are normally fired at temperatures high enough to achieve durability and low enough to avoid distorting the glass. A shift of focus, from preserving the glass in its original form, towards firing at higher temperatures causes slight alterations which integrate the coated image with the form it imposes on the glass.
While the research is approached from the perspective of an artist, gaining a measure of scientific understanding will expand the creative resources of the researcher. The decision to undertake PhD research was largely influenced by the fact that, at the University of Sunderland, the materials technology support crucial to the outcome is available.
