Mausoleum Art Gallery

The Mausoleum art gallery presents one of the first multi-functional glass blowing industry, "Yes, that means they make both pipes and random sculptures of glass". The main store residing in Aurora, Illinois, just starting out less than a few years ago but far from lacking in the glass industry. Currently providing the holiday cheers, Mausoleum are creating their Halloween theme set, showing off their creepy designs of horror. Not a lot of artists are into the whole theme status, many glass blowers are forced to make their company's products. This is one of many Independent glass companies!

 

Art Assumptions

Audiences of glass tend to judge the art on its functions, from looking at these three pieces of constructed glass, can you actually tell which ones are pipe functional and which ones are display functional?  The answer is probably not, every single one of these glass pieces are pipes, how it functions is the real question.

Glass artists just want to be able to make their art and not be judged on their glass for the one difference they have, their functions. 

Disguising the bong

Looking at the picture above, the most you would assume at first sight would be some type of weird musicians piece of art, but in reality it is a functional pipe. This pipe is constructed out of all glass, it is a dry pipe which means that you cannot put water inside of it. The one thing about these pipes, is that usually the buyer, or consumer does not buy this for its main function, smoking. That is another reason glass blowing is such a high value market, people who do not even use the function of the pieces are buying these pipes which widens the variety of consumers. For example someone with money might see a glass piece of art and want it, little do they know the main function of the glass is smoking!

Glass Disguises

Many people do not respect the ways of glass blowing, especially in the sense of pipe art, or just another utensil of smoking. Glass artists are starting to almost disguise their work, with themes, colors, and ridiculous designs and shapes to overthrow the whole shape of the sculpture.

This is a traditional glass pipe, when you first look at this piece of glass you can tell what the function of it is. I don't think I would consider this piece of glass to be a piece of art, only because it is more of an original piece, nothing special, the artist is not trying to hide or disguise anything.

Glass Blown Chess Board

Believe it or not, this is a fully functional chess board, along with glass blown pieces to play along with. Glass blowers are pushing the limit on functions, and design, but now with this unique piece it is going to be nearly impossible to beat an amusing board game/water pipe. What will they think of next?