When light shines through water, colors with longer wavelengths are absorbed by the water, with the longest wavelengths absorbed first. Blue and violet have the shortest wavelengths of visible light, so they are able to penetrate the deepest.
Glass, in particular, exists within a lineage of techniques that have changed surprisingly little over centuries. The furnaces may burn hotter and the tools may be refined, but the core dialogue between heat, gravity, and human hand remains remarkably intact.
From Do Ho Suh's ethereal architecture to Kimsooja's irridescent mirrors to Lauren Halsey's fringed tapestry, a new book from Monacelli celebrates a broad spectrum of light and color. Rainbow Dreams features more than 200 installations, sculptures, paintings, photographs, and more that revel in the possibilities of pigment. Bound in a smooth gradient that extends to the pages' edges, this vivid survey is a celebratory, playful object in itself.
The Sculptural Wave Plate, one of the collection's centrepieces, captures that balance perfectly. The piece is hand-formed by artisans who work intuitively with the clay, shaping soft, undulating curves that echo the movement of fabric or the natural topography of land. Each plate is made from regionally sourced, lead-free clay and finished in a matte glaze that settles uniquely across every surface.