Cycles of transformation: exploring lifecycles in glass art making and material reuse

Glass art making occupies a unique position at the intersection of material science and creative expression. The paper explores the lifecycles of glass within the context of contemporary glass art making, from sourcing and production to artistic transformation, reuse, and material processing streams. The lifecycles presented draw on case studies from studio glass artists, archival material, and interviews with practitioners who are redefining glass use in their practice. By examining these lifecycles through artistic lens, we consider not only the physical changes the material undergoes, but also the evolving narratives it carries through each phase. The paper addresses how artists engage with recycled studio glass, post-consumer waste glass, and found objects, and how these choices influence both form and meaning in their work. The lifecycles presented are set within the framework of wider lifecycles of the glass industry. It is acknowledged that glass used and reused within glass art making is a very small percentage of total glass used globally. By framing glass art as lifecycle process rather than a linear act of creation, this research invites artists, curators and glass manufacturers, to rethink material agency and the role of craft in shaping sustainable artistic futures.