A companion to Contemporary Glass Sculptures and Panels: Selections from The Corning Museum of Glass, published in 2008, Contemporary Glass Vessels is a survey, from Corning’s collection, of what the vessel form means to artists who work in glass, whether that vessel is painted, cast, cold-worked, or simply blown.

Vessels are the most common objects made of glass, and many of us handle glass vessels nearly every day. We drink from glass cups, bottles, and goblets; we put flowers in vases; and we store food in lidded dishes and jars. We understand glass as an ordinary material—a material for packaging, much like plastic—and it is easy to forget what an exotic material it really is. The form of the vessel is one to which many artists return, or at which they arrive. These modern glass vessels are tactile and sculptural. In their variations, they beautifully demonstrate the versatility of glass, a material that, while resplendent in its transparency, also allows for all manner of surface treatment to veil it in opacity. It is this kind of artistic expression that is explored in the vessels presented in this book.