Programme Outline
To create a glass sculpture of a swan, George Constable uses very simple materials – small glass sticks and a gas blowtorch. The glass sticks are rolled backwards and forwards over a fierce flame until the tips are red-hot. The glass is now soft and George can begin to shape the body of the swan.
At each stage he has to work quickly before the glass hardens. He concentrates on one part of the swan’s body before reheating and moving on to the next feature. We see him moulding the tail, adding wings, teasing the neck of the swan from the body and finally creating the head and beak. To help achieve this, he uses small metal pliers with which he also adds tiny details such as the lines of the feathers in the bird’s tail.
Finally, the completed swan is left to cool. From every angle George has captured the grace and beauty of this magnificent bird. Although he may make several sculptures of the same subject, each one will be unique.
© 2000 Channel Four Television Corporation
