“You Should Materialize Their Visions”

A Conversation with Wilhelm Derix

Over the past 40-50 years, Germany has played a leading role in European stained glass. And since its "discovery" by North American artists in the 1970s, German glass has had a strong influence over here as well. Innovative, courageous and uncompromisingly modern, German stained glass sets an inspiring and challenging standard for stained glass artists no matter where they are working.

In more recent years, the German influence has been felt in another way, as some of that country’s fabrication studios have developed their businesses in North America. Unlike in North America, where the artist who designs the work may also run the studio that fabricates it, in Germany the functions of artist/designer and artisan are usually separate. An artist who gets a commission will send their design to a fabrication studio; or if the studio gets the commission, it helps the client to find and work with a suitable artist. In either case, the windows are built by highly trained, dedicated artisans, working in the fabrication studio.

During the massive post-war reconstruction of Germany in the 50s, 60s and 70s, these studios were kept busy building the thousands of windows that were needed for the new and rebuilt churches. In addition, a “percent for art” program brought stained glass into such diverse locations as community centres, courthouses, police stations, libraries and schools. As the rebuilding work slowed in the 1970s, German studios looked overseas for new opportunities, and began to forge connections, solicit work, and even set up branch plants in North America. Sattler’s Studio, Meyer of Munich, and Derix Glasstudios were some of the first to establish roots here.

Although other North American studios offer fabrication services to artists, the German studios have distinguished themselves with their professionalism and dedication to service. This professionalism is rooted in a respected tradition of artisanship, and manifests itself in many ways:

• First of all, the artisan's studio is just that. There may or may not be an in-house designer, but if there is, the designer will be doing original work, rather than recycling decades-old designs. The role of the studio is to build and install to the artist's and the client's expectations.

• In keeping with the seriousness of this approach, the craftsmen and women who do the fabrication - the glaziers and glass painters - are professionals in their own right; they have trained for their position, apprenticed in a studio, received journeyman’s papers, and have thereby earned the respect accorded to their profession.

• Professionalism is also seen in the way these studios work with the artist. The relationship is one of partnership, working towards on a common enterprise. The best studios show an unstinting dedication the task of bringing the artist’s vision to light.

Given these qualities, its not surprising that even in the short time these studios have been here, they have begun to make waves in the stained glass community. Time will tell whether North American artists embrace this system for making windows, as it requires changes in how they think and work in glass. Using an outside studio also has associated costs, and the artist has less direct control over the final product.

On the other hand, the artist-artisan system has practical advantages, among them the opportunity to learn from a different tradition. Recently, I had a chance to speak with Wilhelm Derix IV, the current head of Derix Glasstudios, Taunusstein, Germany. In a wide-ranging discussion, Herr Derix spoke about the studio system in Germany, the training of apprentices, his philosophy as a maker of windows, and what he sees as the state of the art today. In this conversation, I was struck by his deep and heartfelt professionalism - a quality I have also noted in my work with the Sattlers, at Sattler Studios. These studios are committed to bringing the artist's visions to fruition, and professionalism infuses their entire operation, from the company president to the journeyman glazier.

Derix’s is one of the oldest and most successful workshops for stained glass and mosaic in Germany. Currently operating from three locations, the Derix studios collectively employ 70 people. The company was established by Dutch artisan Wilhelm Derix I in 1866. Wilhelm I began his career as a violinist but after suffering an injury, he served an apprenticeship with Oidtmann Studios in Linnick. It was there that he met Fredrick Stummel, a well-known church painter and restoration artist, and they formed a partnership establishing the first Derix Studio in Goch, Germany.

In 1896 a second studio was established in Kevelaer, 10 km south of Goch, because there was no room to expand at the original location. This second studio was run by Derix’s brother. In 1906 a third studio was established in Chicago, managed by another brother. This studio lasted until 1917. The business has stayed in the Derix family, and recently, in the US, Derix Glasstudios formed a partnership with Dorothy Lenehan in California.

The foundation of the craftsman’s studio system is the interest in and devotion to the art of stained glass. Derix Studio exemplifies this approach, and it has become well-known as fabricators for such influential German artists as Johannes Schreiter, Ludwig Schaffrath, Joachim Poensgen, Wilhelm Buschulte, and Joachim Klos.

Herr Derix attributes his success in this area to his lineage (four generations of glass artisans), and to some advice that he got in the early 70s from a former manager of his uncle’s stained glass studio. Derix was 23 years old and had recently taken over his father’s studio. “He said to me, ‘I feel sympathetic to you, building up the studio. You should really go only for the best design work. Train your awareness of what a good design looks like. You should go for your intentions - for your gut feeling. You should go for that whether it’s giving you profit or not. You should make it possible. Even if it’s not technically, supposedly possible, you should try to make it possible. You should materialize their visions.’

“And he planted that idea in me - to encourage people not to think in technical terms; not to think of limitations in glass. Or in painting. Or in fusing. Or whatever in the leading, or whatever the ridiculous technical objections could be. I never forgot him because he said to me, 'You should make it possible. You should try to never say no.'”

The professionalism in a German studio is not just at the management level. Artisans are respected members of German society, and to qualify for this position is not a simple task. This is in sharp contrast to North America, where someone who has taken a two week evening course could conceivably call themselves a “stained glass craftsman.” In Germany, there is honor given to craftsmanship and its practitioners.

One of the unique characteristics of the German approach is the system of apprentice training. Artisans in Germany can get their training by going to school - but most start right away in a studio. The studios educate their own apprentices, in the belief that a studio education is more practical than a school education. There is also a financial incentive, as an apprentice is less expensive to hire and train than a school graduate. Those who go to school often have difficulty finding a studio to apprentice in after graduation. Derix notes that many art college graduates are going to France, Sweden or England to complete their education.

Derix employs twelve apprentices in Germany. The starting age can be as early as sixteen, although some are in their twenties. Competition is strong for apprenticeship spots; this year, out of 22 applicants, only two were accepted.

The Derix apprenticeship system is unique in that the apprentice’s time is divided between the studio and school, in approximately a two-to-one ratio. Applicants begin by attending a basic studio course for two weeks. As they begin work in the studio, they are observed and tested to see where their aptitude may lie - whether towards painting or glazing. At the end of the four year apprenticeship a practical and written examination must be passed before the apprentice earns his/her journeyman’s papers and is certified in the trade.

Although the apprenticeship system works along traditional lines, times are changing what is taught. Derix has traditionally had two different professions in the studio: glaziers and painters. With changing times and tastes in stained glass, he foresees new positions being developed. “We are training the apprentices in the new techniques of fusing, screen painting, acid etching, air brushing, and sandblasting. Gluing is a major technique; fifty percent of our jobs are now gluing jobs. Leaded glass is really diminishing, year after year."

In his descriptions of several projects, it was clear that the artist-studio interaction has a profound effect on the final window. When he first begins to work with an artist, Derix tries to make sure he spends some informal time with them to exchange ideas and to get to know them. As the work progresses discussions with the artist are an important part of the process. "In a relaxed situation, you can listen to the artist. A lot of the process relies on verbal expression; then I try to work out the best way to translate the design into glass.”

During the fabrication the artist may spend time at the studio, doing glass-painting or participating in other treatments. The studio has an apartment for artists to stay in, and they are invited to meals with Derix and his family. "That’s really fun for us - to communicate or exchange opinions. Although sometimes there are heated discussions, I have to say."

In working with the artist, Derix is acutely aware of the need for sensitivity. He understands that artists are putting something very personal on the line with their work, and he is careful that his suggestions are delivered with tact. "You cannot criticize in a rude way, in a negligible way, a dismissing way. You must first find the positive things, and then make some proposals."

To do this effectively, he must first be able to understand what the artist is trying to accomplish in the design. "I look for that. I try very hard. Now, with 29 years of experience, I can see quickly what the artist intends - sometimes before they know it themselves. One artist said to me at the end of a commission, 'You said that to me from the beginning. Now I discover that’s true. I wanted to say that in my work.'”

With his experience, and with the experimentation in techniques that he done over the years on different projects, Wilhelm Derix can help artists to achieve the effects they want - often using techniques that are new to them. Following the advice he received long ago from that studio manager, Derix focuses on results, rather than technical details. “I try to keep the process fresh, and I try not to concentrate too much on techniques.”

As someone deeply involved with buildings and architecture, Derix is very aware of trends in Germany and North America. “At the moment, especially in Germany there’s such a lack of young designers. They are discouraged by the policy of the church at the moment, and by the architecture. Architects are absolutely against stained glass in Germany. They want their buildings to be very clean and clear. Look at the Berlin architecture at the moment. It’s all very clinically clean, white walls, clear windows. That’s it. Showing structure, that’s all there is. In this, they are five years behind the US market. In the US, architects are returning to the more elaborate structures, textures, and so on. They’re embellishing their buildings again.”

My conversation with Wilhelm Derix revealed a man who is passionate about his work, and a studio that is dedicated to producing worthy artworks. The qualities that impressed me in this interview also appear in other German studios. Although they hold many things in common, each studio also brings its unique personality and strengths to the work. North American artists are fortunate to have such a rich new resource to draw from.

From its reputation, it is clear that one of Derix Studio's strengths is its willingness to experiment and innovate in order to achieve a desired effect in glass. My conversation with Herr Derix revealed the source of this reputation. Derix recounts, "When I had the 125th celebration of the studio, 3000 people were around and an artist came by and congratulated me. He said, 'You have done a really great job but you will never harvest the fruit of it. You’re paying too much money for being the first one.” And I said, 'Yeah, it may be true, but I’m enjoying that. I cannot live differently. I have to have a vision.”

"I chatted them to death."

While professionalism and craftsmanship is a key to success at Derix Glasstudios the personal story of how Wilhelm gained entry to the Guild is not often told. Wilhelm Derix never set out to study glass. He saw how long and hard his father worked and vowed to lead a different life. However, his father, who ran Derix studio, insisted he learn cutting and glazing, pointing out that it would be a good source of pocket money. As a teenager, he worked for half of prevailing wages (he was promised the other half as an inheritance) and learned the essentials of the craft.

Setting out on his own career, Derix's first love was music. He played violin, and his talent won him third prize in an national Germany competition in 1966. However, he was more interested in playing music than he was in studying musical theory. “I discovered,” he says, “that you shouldn’t make your hobby into your profession.”

He next went into the study of architecture. One and a half years into his studies, his father became very ill. “My mother called me and said, ‘You should come home. Your father is ill.’ So I went to the studio. And I’m still here. I’m still in the studio.”

Wilhelm Derix took over the studio at the age of 23. He had never gone for his craftsman's papers, but he soon found that his father had looked ahead for him. “After my father was dead somebody called me, and said ‘You have to come down to the Craftsman's Hall.’

‘Why?’

‘Your examination is taking place the day after tomorrow.’

‘What examination?’

‘You have a contract. You are becoming a glazier. A stained glass glazier.’

'No, it can’t be true. I never signed something like that.’

‘Your father did that for you.’

"And so I had to go. I immediately went to our studio's master craftsman, and asked him, 'What shall I do now?' We sat down the next day and we went through everything. He said to me, 'You should tell them about your experiences acquiring jobs. They are very interested because they are all self-employed master craftsman.' I said, 'That’s a good idea. Thank you very much.'

"And so I went down and I chatted them to death. The whole committee. I talked all the time. They asked, 'Do you know how to construct diamonds?' I had no idea how to construct diamonds, but I told them, ‘Yes, of course, I know. It was really difficult competing for that commission you know............. The parish really wanted to have a cheap estimate for that.’ This got their interest.

'Oh... Which job was that?'

'That job? Oh, we lost it.'

'You lost it?'

'Yes, you underbid us......................'

”It was six hours.

At the end of the discussion, they said, 'You would have won the master craftsmanship for that. You are so brilliant!' They gave me the best marks. I said, 'Don't you want to see how I cut glass?'

'Oh, will you do that?'

'Okay, shall I cut this..?'

'Oh, yeah. That’s really difficult, that corner.'

"I cut the piece, and made a couple of fancy cuts. They said, 'Oh, you are really good. That’s great!'

And that's how I got my papers."