Hasta La Ideas

Bauhaus-inspired glassware by a Portland-based artist

Sourcing glass from as far off as Sweden or as locally as Washington state, glass artist Lynn Read works with glass from a variety of different sources (sometimes even old beer bottles) to produce a similarly wide array of pieces in his Portland, OR studio. His style ranges from intricate detailing reminiscent of a medieval tapestry to smooth and simple housewares in shades of deep cobalt blue and shimmering gold.

“I use different glasses for a variety of results,” Read explains, “like color, clarity, viscosity, cost, quality and its ability to be tweaked.”

Read got his start at Baltimore’s Maryland Institute College of Art, starting by studying sculpture and painting but soon taking up an outside apprenticeship to work with glass. Rather than blowing glass into a mold—perhaps the influence of his sculpture background—he shapes each red-hot piece (at about 2150°F) with soft touches and gentle air pressure.

Read produces two separate lines in the Vitreluxe studio. The clean, simple, Bauhaus-inspired line of housewares starts at about $14 a piece and can be found in retail stores all over the country. His signature line starts at about $1000 per piece and can be found in museums and galleries, such as the Seattle Art Museum and the Williams College of Art in Massachusetts. For more information, check out his website.