Structural integrity

US glass artist Morgan Madison brings precise draughtsmanship to his architectural designs of kiln-formed and laminated cityscapes and artifacts. Linda Banks finds out more.

What led you to start working with glass?

I was introduced to glass by happenstance. I went to Lewis and Clark College, a small liberal arts school in Portland, Oregon, where I received a degree in Studio Art with a focus in drawing. After graduating I travelled around South America until student loans came due and I found myself back in Portland looking for any kind of art-related job I could find. A company called Bullseye Glass was hiring for a factory position and had an eye-catching ad in the paper that said something like “wow your friends and impress your enemies”. I knew nothing about glass at the time, but the pay was pretty good, and I could ride my bike to work, so I applied and was offered the position. It was hot, loud and intimidating in the factory but I took the job thinking I wouldn’t stay long. Being surrounded by all the colourful glass quickly piqued my curiosity though, and I ended up working at Bullseye as a glass caster and blower for seven years, essentially receiving a master-level class in glass along the way, which profoundly shaped the course of my career and life.

What glass techniques have you used, and which do you prefer?

I have explored many different kiln-forming processes, from fusing and slumping to casting and pate de verre. I have blown a little bit of glass and worked with others to create roll-ups from kiln-formed panels. I am not sure I have a favourite process; I find that working with a range of techniques in glass and a variety of materials alongside makes for a dynamic creative environment in the studio. I prefer to let the concept and character of a project drive methods and material choices, rather than being beholden to a particular technique or medium. I enjoy the challenge of figuring out a new way forward for each project.

Please tell us more about your creative approach. Do you draw your ideas out or dive straight in with the materials?

Creating improvisationally and working in a more measured and intentional way are both important and complementary aspects of my practice.

Working improvisationally and making without a purpose is important to exercise the creative muscles. I find that this way of working helps generate new ideas and prepares me for making choices and solving problems when I shift to working on more particular and involved projects.

Fortunately, when it comes time to be precise and clear I get to lean into drawing, my first love as an artist and the foundation of my creative process. Working out composition, form and colour through drawing is critical to my way of thinking and seeing. Drawing is also a crucial tool in problem solving and planning. When I have commissions or specific projects to pursue, this approach provides the structure to see them through.

Regardless of how big or small, casual or deliberate, a project may be, serious play would be an apt way to describe my approach to the creative process.

What message(s) do you want to convey through your art?

Ultimately, I want my work to be buoyant, an expression of hopefulness and a celebration of our fleeting existence in this realm. I would say that my work inhabits the realm where the architecture of nature, manmade architecture and imagination overlap. I frequently look to my physical surroundings for inspiration. I am seeking to develop a dynamic visual vocabulary based on the elements of place, such as material, form, colour, texture and pattern. In particular, I am looking for elements that resonate amongst the noise and can communicate about distinct niches of our environment.

My aim, though, is to hint at stories and scenes rather than to create work that drives with intention and is overtly representative, so as to leave room for interpretation and invite my audience to become engaged in the creative process.

What is your favourite tool or piece of equipment and why?
My favourite tool is a tough question. For working with glass specifically, it would have to be my Toyo glass cutter, which I have had since the beginning. Truly though, my coloured pencils and paper are closest to my heart – simple tools with endless potential.

Do you have a career highlight?

I am nearing an exciting milestone – the completion of a large-scale kiln-formed glass installation for SEA – the Seattle Tacoma International Airport. It consists of 13 unique artworks, each representing a distinct ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest. The work is meant to be a colourful and dynamic celebration of this region, bidding travellers farewell and welcoming visitors and folks returning home.

It has been a two-year process of design and collaboration to move from concept to completion, with installation coming in December 2025. Each artwork consists of two overlapping design layers that have been carefully cut, assembled, fired and laminated together at Bullseye Studio in Portland. The resulting glass panels will be installed inside the exterior terminal windows, acting much like traditional stained glass windows. I hope that they have a similar effect of fostering moments of serenity in an otherwise hectic environment.

By all measurables, this has been my most expansive, complex and challenging project and seeing it through will be very rewarding.

Where is your creative practice heading next?

I have a few irons in the fire.

First, I hope to capitalize on the momentum of my current commission for SEA and continue to push into new territories of concept and scale through commissioned works of art for the public realm, and for private clients, too.

In Autumn 2024 I had a residency at S12 in Bergen, Norway, during which I got to explore exciting ways of layering sheet glass and powders. The initial results were promising and dynamic, but I have been so busy with other projects since then that I have had to pause the explorations that I began at S12. I am looking forward to some quiet time this winter spent gathering those threads anew to see where they lead me.

And, like most artists I know, I have numerous sketchbooks, pages filling every day with ideas I want to bring to life, so I have more than enough to keep me occupied until the next thing pops up. I suppose I had better get back to work! Time is the most precious commodity, isn’t it?

And finally…

I would like to share a few words of appreciation. It is so valuable to take moments now and again to write and reflect and assess in order to focus on what is meaningful and regain some of the clarity that can get lost in the day-to-day hustle. So, thank you for giving me the excuse to do so, and for the opportunity to share with the CGS audience. Cheers!

Find out more about Morgan Madison and his work via his website https://morganvanmadison.com or via Instagram and Facebook: @morganmadison .

Main feature image: ‘On the Way…’ is a kiln-formed and cold-worked glass triptych by Morgan Madison. All photos courtesy of the artist, except the photo of Morgan in the studio.