Common Ground Glass - Winter 2001
Book Review
The Color of Light: Commissioning Stained Glass for a Church
Sarah Hall's biographical material states "I fell in love with stained glass when I was a kid, at the age of nine". This life-long passion for stained glass shows throughout this book which
she wrote to "demystify the process of working with stained glass artists and to establish a for- mat for the commissioning process". Through its clear outline and detailed information, this book certainly accomplishes its goal.
The first five chapters plus the glossary and re- sources at the end form a good introductory primer for anyone unfamiliar with stained glass and its fabrication. It contains information on the history, materials, fabrication, special techniques. and creation of stained glass windows,
all oriented towards the creation of large religious installations. The history chapter is an overview, which traces the evolution of stained glass from its early beginnings through to present day. This is not a how-to book for glass artists, but is de- signed to educate congregations (or others) unfamiliar with stained glass by providing a basic understanding of the medium, its possibilities and the working process of glass design and fabrication.
It is lavishly illustrated with examples of work from several artists, including some of Sarah's own projects. These photos provide a nice balance of images, allowing us to experience the author's design style, as well as that of other artists.
The strongest chapters of this book provide vital, seldom articulated information on the design and commissioning process. Stressing the importance of the design being compatible with the building's total environment, she discusses the pros and cons of working with commercial studios and independent design/fabrication artists. Woven throughout this chapter is the message that design is an integral and time consuming part of any stained glass project, responsible for affecting the success of a project's outcome. She states "despite its essential importance to the quality of a stained glass window, design is the element that most often gets shortchanged".
Aspects such as working with a church design committee in a climate of mutual respect and trust to develop a suitable design are also applicable to working with private design clients... i.e. couples with disparate tastes who both want input into a window. Stained glass artists working in the residential market should find lots of information in this chapter that is quite transferable to their work.
Regarding design she states "the window should also mesh with the personality and spirit of the parish, those who will live and worship with the window in this generation and those to come". Here again is a strong parallel between the design process for a private home and a church... the meshing of personality and the spirit of those living with the window is every bit as important in a home as in a church.
A drawback to this book's value appears to be the limited distribution and availability. A major Canadian bookstore was unable to procure this book for me. It is my belief that availability of this book through regular bookstore outlets would raise its profile, thus allowing more groups, artists and individuals to access the valuable information Sarah provides.
This is a useful book and belongs in the library of every serious stained glass artist and studio, as well as anyone looking for an informational stained glass book illustrating a wide range of contemporary and historical glass.
