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ART & DESIGN

Turrell has put so much of himself into this piece that its emotional and symbolic depth is conveyed through its every detail. The crystal stopper’s pyramidal shape brings to mind Egypt and its monuments – a source of fascination for the artist – in which light served ceremonial purposes. Similarly, the aura of dignity enveloping the Eight Decades decanter is not unlike that of Egyptian statues. The exceptional amber liquid it contains also recalls the artist’s father, a connoisseur of fine whisky and aged cigars. For Turrell, the invisible is always on a par with the visible, and memories flow through as if by invitation. Like a time capsule, this extraordinary decanter is certain to stand as one of the finest examples of fertile collaboration between an artist, artisans and the universe of spirits. Requiring rare technical prowess, the production of the Eight Decades decanter involved many discussions between Turrell and Marc Larminaux, Lalique’s Artistic and Creative Director. A piece of breathtaking virtuosity

THE PIECE IS POLISHED AND SANDED DURING THE COLD-GLASS PROCESS, THE NECK AND STOPPER ARE WORKED ON FURTHER SO THAT EACH STOPPER FITS ITS DECANTER.

A SERIES OF CAREFUL STEPS WERE FOLLOWED, INCLUDING HOT-MELT BONDING, AN AGE-OLD TECHNIQUE REINVENTED FOR THE PROJECT BY LALIQUE’S MASTER GLASSMAKERS.

Hours of design work were necessary to realize the artist’s vision, from drawings and mould manufacturing to hot-glass trials and prototypes, in a series of careful steps, including hot-melt bonding, an age-old technique reinvented for the project by Lalique’s master glassmakers. “First the base is mould blown, then placed in a second mould so that the neck can be injected with violet crystal”, explains Larminaux. “The stopper is manufactured separately in blue crystal. Lastly, the piece is polished and sanded during the cold-glass process, and the neck and stopper are worked on further so that each stopper fits its decanter.” Each of these methods raised additional challenges, a wellspring of creative stimuli for Lalique’s designers, who needed to find solutions while preserving time-honoured expertise. “Projects like these are an opportunity for us to perpetuate traditional techniques, but also to pass down skills to new generations of glassmakers”, says the Artistic Director.

An Eight Decades decanter stopper in the hot-glass workshop © Karine Faby/James Turrell & Lalique & The Glenturret

Hot-glass workshop at the Lalique factory © Karine Faby/James Turrell & Lalique & The Glenturret

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